Acute bacterial meningitis is associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality. Streptococcus pneumoniae is a major cause in adults and children. Choice of empirical antibiotics must be made in consideration of the global increase of resistant strains to penicillin and third-generation cephalosporins. In order to determine the most common pathogens responsible for bacterial meningitis in K...

Klebsiella pneumoniae is the most common pathogen of community-acquired meningitis in Taiwan. However, the lack of a physiologically relevant meningitis model for K. pneumoniae has impeded research into its pathogenesis mechanism. Based on the core genome MLST analyses, the hypervirulent K1 K. pneumoniae strains, which are etiologically implicated in adult meningitis, mostly belong to a single ...

BACKGROUND Increased levels of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) 14-3-3 proteins have been reported in acute bacterial meningitis. We tested the hypothesis that CSF 14-3-3 protein levels are substantially increased in acute bacterial meningitis and decreased after anti-microbial therapy, and that CSF 14-3-3 protein levels can predict treatment outcomes. METHODS We examined serial pan-CSF 14-3-3 (14-3...

OBJECTIVES Despite improvements in diagnostic and therapeutic approach to adult patients with bacterial meningitis, the overall mortality rate is still high. The aim of this study was to evaluate antibiotic timing in the course and outcome of bacterial meningitis. METHODS Two hundred and eighty six patients with community-acquired bacterial meningitis aged 14 years and more were included in t...

BACKGROUND Solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients are at risk of infections of the central nervous system. However, the incidence and clinical course of bacterial meningitis in SOT recipients are unclear. We studied occurrence, disease course, and prognosis of bacterial meningitis in SOT recipients in the Netherlands. METHODS All patients with a medical history of solid organ transplantation...

Neisseria meningitidis is the bacterium that causes meningococcal disease, one of the leading sources of community-acquired sepsis and meningitis among children. Both sporadic and epidemic disease can occur, and a large number of individuals can become infected within a short period of time. The manner by which meningococcal disease strikes previously healthy individuals, with a rapid progressi...

Background: Dental students’ attendance in community fields prepares them to get involved in oral health promotion programs.  The aim of this study was to evaluate dental students` attitude toward education in community dentistry fields at an Iranian dental school. Methods: 125 dental students participated in a questionnaire survey.  The questionnaire included questions regarding students’ back...

Pneumococcal pneumonia and invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) remain a considerable cause of morbidity and mortality, with recent data showing a continued unacceptably high social and economic burden. Streptococcus pneumoniae can be isolated from 5-10% of healthy adults and 20-40% of healthy children1. Infection can result in a variety of clinical syndromes with meningitis, pneumonia, and seps...