Bacterial meningitis in Johannesburg--1980-1982.

A 2-year retrospective study of aetiology, age distribution, seasonal variation and antimicrobial sensitivity patterns of bacteria isolated from patients with meningitis in five Johannesburg hospitals for White, Black, Coloured and Asian patients was performed. Neisseria meningitidis was isolated most frequently, followed by Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Escherichia coli and Streptococcus group B. In the Black population 73% of the meningococcal infections occurred in patients over 3 years of age, and the majority of these infections were caused by serogroup A organisms. Virtually all (93%) of the H. influenzae infections occurred in children of less than 3 years of age. Of the isolates tested, 16% of the meningococci, 4,5% of the H. influenzae and 47% of the pneumococci were resistant to sulphadiazine, ampicillin and penicillin respectively.