Leptospirosis meningitis transmission from a pet mouse: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Leptospirosis is a reemerging zoonosis with a worldwide distribution and a wide range of clinical manifestations. We report a case of leptospirosis meningitis in a previously healthy woman infected by her pet mouse. CASE PRESENTATION: A 27-year-old Caucasian woman with pet mice presented to our institute with a 1 week history of fever, headache, myalgia, vomiting, diarrhea, and dark urine. Her admission examination revealed neck stiffness, conjunctivitis, and icteric sclera. Her liver enzymes, bilirubin, white blood cell count, and C-reactive protein were elevated. Her cerebrospinal fluid showed an elevated white blood cell count. Polymerase chain reactions using her cerebrospinal fluid, blood, and urine showed negative results for leptospirosis, but the result of her microagglutination test was positive for Leptospira interrogans serovar sejroe with a more than threefold increase in paired sera. The patient was treated with ceftriaxone for 1 week, and her condition steadily improved. CONCLUSIONS: This case report raises awareness of pet rodents as sources of leptospirosis. Leptospirosis meningitis should be considered in patients with meningeal symptoms and pet rodents.

Risk factors for Streptococcus suis infection: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Streptococcus suis (S. suis) is a gram-positive bacterial pathogen in pigs which can cause serious infections in human including meningitis, and septicaemia resulting in serious complications. There were discrepancies between different data and little is known concerning associated risk factors of S. suis. A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to investigate on S. suis infection risk factors in human. We searched eight relevant databases using the MeSH terms "Streptococcus suis" OR "Streptococcus suis AND infection" limited in human with no time nor language restriction. Out of 4,999 articles identified, 32 and 3 studies were included for systematic review and meta-analysis respectively with a total of 1,454 Streptococcus suis cases reported. S. suis patients were generally adult males and the elderly. The mean age ranged between 37 to 63 years. Meningitis was the most common clinical manifestation, and deafness was the most common sequelae found among survivors followed by vestibular dysfunction. Infective endocarditis was also noted as among the most common clinical presentations associated with high mortality rate in a few studies. Meta-analyses categorized by type of control groups (community control, and non-S. suis sepsis) were done among 850 participants in 3 studies. The combined odd ratios for studies using community control groups and non-S. Suis sepsis as controls respectively were 4.63 (95% CI 2.94-7.29) and 78.00 (95% CI 10.38-585.87) for raw pork consumption, 4.01 (95% CI 2.61-6.15) and 3.03 (95% CI 1.61-5.68) for exposure to pigs or pork, 11.47, (95% CI 5.68-23.14) and 3.07 (95% CI 1.81-5.18) for pig-related occupation and 3.56 (95% CI 2.18-5.80) and 5.84 (95% CI 2.76-12.36) for male sex. The results were found to be significantly associated with S. suis infection and there was non-significant heterogeneity. History of skin injury and underlying diseases were noted only a small percentage in most studies. Setting up an effective screening protocol and public health interventions would be effective to enhance understanding about the disease.

Fatal Cronobacter sakazakii Sequence Type 494 Meningitis in a Newborn, Brazil.

We describe a case of infection with Cronobacter sakazakii sequence type 494 causing bacteremia and meningitis in a hospitalized late premature infant in Brazil. We conducted microbiological analyses on samples of powdered infant formula from the same batch as formula ingested by the infant but could not identify the source of contamination.

Neonatal meningitis and recurrent bacteremia with group B Streptococcus transmitted by own mother's milk: A case report and review of previous cases.

This article reports a case of neonatal meningitis and recurrent bacteremia caused by group B Streptococcus (GBS) transmitted via the mother's milk. A 3-day-old neonate suffered early-onset meningitis due to GBS, from which he recovered after antibiotic treatment for 4 weeks. GBS was not detected in the vaginal or stool cultures of the neonate's mother before delivery. However, 4days after treatment of GBS meningitis, the neonate developed GBS bacteremia. As the mother repeatedly showed signs of mastitis after the delivery, bacterial culture tests were performed on her breast milk, in addition to vaginal and stool culture tests. GBS was exclusively detected in the mother's breast milk. The GBS strains detected in the cerebrospinal fluid of the neonate and the mother's breast milk were both serotype III, and were confirmed to be identical through pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis. As horizontal GBS transmission between the mother and neonate was indicated, breastfeeding was ceased and replaced with formula milk. No recurrence of bacterial meningitis or bacteremia due to GBS was observed thereafter. Physicians need to consider culturing breast milk in cases of recurrent neonatal GBS infections, even in mothers without prior detection of GBS in conventional vaginal or stool cultures before delivery.

Mathematical Modelling of Bacterial Meningitis Transmission Dynamics with Control Measures.

Vaccination and treatment are the most effective ways of controlling the transmission of most infectious diseases. While vaccination helps susceptible individuals to build either a long-term immunity or short-term immunity, treatment reduces the number of disease-induced deaths and the number of infectious individuals in a community/nation. In this paper, a nonlinear deterministic model with time-dependent controls has been proposed to describe the dynamics of bacterial meningitis in a population. The model is shown to exhibit a unique globally asymptotically stable disease-free equilibrium ℰ0, when the effective reproduction number ℛVT ≤ 1, and a globally asymptotically stable endemic equilibrium ℰ1, when ℛVT > 1; and it exhibits a transcritical bifurcation at ℛVT = 1. Carriers have been shown (by Tornado plot) to have a higher chance of spreading the infection than those with clinical symptoms who will sometimes be bound to bed during the acute phase of the infection. In order to find the best strategy for minimizing the number of carriers and ill individuals and the cost of control implementation, an optimal control problem is set up by defining a Lagrangian function L to be minimized subject to the proposed model. Numerical simulation of the optimal problem demonstrates that the best strategy to control bacterial meningitis is to combine vaccination with other interventions (such as treatment and public health education). Additionally, this research suggests that stakeholders should press hard for the production of existing/new vaccines and antibiotics and their disbursement to areas that are most affected by bacterial meningitis, especially Sub-Saharan Africa; furthermore, individuals who live in communities where the environment is relatively warm (hot/moisture) are advised to go for vaccination against bacterial meningitis.

Pathogenic Elizabethkingia miricola Infection in Cultured Black-Spotted Frogs, China, 2016.

Multiregional outbreaks of meningitis-like disease caused by Elizabethkingia miricola were confirmed in black-spotted frog farms in China in 2016. Whole-genome sequencing revealed that this amphibian E. miricola strain is closely related to human clinical isolates. Our findings indicate that E. miricola can be epizootic and may pose a threat to humans.

A Comparison of the Validity and Responsiveness of the EQ-5D-5L and SF-6D for Measuring Health Spillovers: A Study of the Family Impact of Meningitis.

BACKGROUND: The "health spillover" of patient illness on family members is important to capture in economic evaluation. This study compares the construct validity and responsiveness of 2 widely used health-related quality-of-life instruments, the EQ-5D-5L and SF-6D, in capturing health spillover effects for family members with and without an informal care role (carers and noncarers). METHODS: Construct validity and responsiveness were assessed using data from a 2012 UK survey of the family impact of meningitis-related sequelae. Construct validity was assessed by testing associations between family members' health status and variables anticipated to be associated with spillover effects (patient health status and informal care). Responsiveness was assessed by testing associations between the longitudinal change in family members' health status and longitudinal change in patient health and caring hours. RESULTS: Among noncarers, both the EQ-5D-5L and the SF-6D exhibited construct validity with 10 of the 11 associations that were hypothesized being statistically significant on both measures. There was less clear evidence of responsiveness of the measures for noncarers. Among carers, the EQ-5D-5L exhibited greater construct validity, as well as responsiveness, with respect to spillovers from patient health. This was evidenced by the EQ-5D-5L detecting 9 significant associations compared with 4 on the SF-6D. However, the SF-6D exhibited greater construct validity with respect to spillovers generated from informal care provision (5 associations significant compared with 2 on the EQ-5D-5L). CONCLUSION: Both the EQ-5D-5L and the SF-6D exhibited a degree of validity that could justify their use as measures of health-related quality-of-life spillovers on family members in economic evaluation.

Meningitis caused by Pasteurella multocida in a dog owner without a dog bite: clonal lineage identification by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry.

BACKGROUND: Pasteurella multocida meningitis in an immunocompetent patient is rare and commonly occurs after animal bite. To our knowledge, only 48 cases have been reported in the literature since 1989. P. multocida meningitis is commonly linked to animal contagion. Here we report on a new case of P. multocida meningitis in an immunocompetent patient who is a dog owner without a dog bite. We used the matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry to investigate the clonal lineage between animal and human isolates. CASE PRESENTATION: In our case, a 25-year-old immunocompetent French Caucasian woman with nothing notable in her medical history was admitted for meningitis caused by P. multocida. Clonal lineage of P. multocida strains from cerebrospinal fluid and blood culture and her dog's oral cavity has been recognized by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry dendrograms and clustering of the 21 P. multocida isolates in our centres. She was treated by a combination of intravenous ceftriaxone (2 g/day) and oral levofloxacin (1 g/day). She was discharged on the 6th day of admission. The antimicrobial therapy was conducted for 15 days. The dog was treated by clavulanic-acid amoxicillin for 3 weeks by the veterinarian. The evolution of the patient at the 5th month after the end of the antimicrobial therapy was normal without any neurological after-effects. CONCLUSION: The meningitis caused by P. multocida could be considered a cause of human meningitis in dog lovers without an animal bite. MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry should be considered as it is an accurate tool to identify clonal lineage between animal and human isolates.

[Maternal and perinatal infections to Streptococcus agalactiae]. / Infections materno-fœtales à Streptococcus agalactiae.

Streptococcus agalactiae (Group B Streptococcus, GBS) is a Gram-positive encapsulated bacterium, found in the digestive and vaginal tracts of 20-30% healthy individuals. It is the leading cause of neonatal invasive infections (septicaemia and meningitis). Two GBS-associated syndromes have been recognized in neonates, the early-onset disease (EOD) and the late-onset disease (LOD), which occur in the first week of life (age 0-6 days) and after (age 7 days-3 months), respectively. Since the establishment of early antibiotic prophylaxis there has been a decrease in the incidence of EOD. However, LOD incidence remains stable. Epidemiological studies revealed a strong association between LOD and a single capsular serotype III ST-17 clone. This ST-17 clone, referred to as the "hypervirulent" clone, possesses specific virulence factors that could account for its increased virulence and neonatal tropism. Conjugate vaccines directed against several capsular serotypes are being developed to prevent invasive disease. However, hypervirulent strains having made a switch to a capsular serotype not covered by such vaccines are emerging, reinforcing the need to identify new candidate vaccines.

Paediatric epidemiology of Pasteurella multocida meningitis in France and review of the literature.

We report on six cases of Pasteurella multocida (P. multocida) meningitis occurring between 2001 and 2011 by a French nationwide active surveillance network of paediatric bacterial meningitis (ACTIV/GPIP). The cases accounted for 0.15 % of the paediatric meningitis cases reported between 2001 and 2011 in France, all in infants <4 months old. A review of the literature allowed us to gather information on 42 other cases of P. multocida meningitis in infants <1 year old reported since 1963. Among all 48 cases, 44 % were newborns. An animal source of the infection, including 39 household dogs and cats, was suspected or identified in 42 of 48 cases. A traumatic contact between the child and a pet occurred in 8 % of cases, and a vertical transmission from mother to child during birth in 10.4 %. Most of the time, the infection resulted from non-traumatic contact between the child and the pet, through licking or sniffing. The absence of host risk factors suggests that an immature immune system is responsible, given the young age of the children. Although complications, especially neurological lesions, were not rare (37.5 %), the long-term outcome was usually good. Four infants died of meningitis. This rare disease could be prevented by reducing contact between infants and household pets, and by performing simple hygiene measures before handling babies.

Epidemiology of central nervous system infection.

In cases of central nervous system infection, it is crucial for the neuroradiologist to provide an accurate differential diagnosis of the possible pathogens involved so that treating physicians can be aided in the choice of empiric therapy. This approach requires the radiologist to be aware of local epidemiology and have knowledge of infectious agents that are endemic to their area of practice. This article reviews and discusses the changing epidemiology of pathogens most often observed in meningitis, brain abscess, epidural abscess, postoperative infections, and human immunodeficiency virus infection.

Pasteurella multocida Infection in a neonate: evidence for a human-to-human horizontal transmission.

Pasteurella multocida is usually transmitted by animal contact; however, in a significant proportion of cases, no animal exposure can be identified. Although vertical transmission has been identified in neonates, horizontal human-to-human spread has not been documented. A case of neonatal sepsis and meningitis resulting from horizontal transmission of P. multocida is described.

Protecting the herd: the remarkable effectiveness of the bacterial meningitis polysaccharide-protein conjugate vaccines in altering transmission dynamics.

Interrupting human-to-human transmission of the agents (Neisseria meningitidis, Haemophilus influenzae, and Streptococcus pneumoniae) of bacterial meningitis by new capsular polysaccharide-protein conjugate vaccines (PPCVs) has proven to be a remarkable (and unanticipated) contributor to vaccine effectiveness. Herd immunity accounts for ∼50% of the protection by meningococcal serogroup C PPCVs, pneumococcal PPCV7, and H. influenzae b PPCVs. Nasopharyngeal carriage can be reduced ≥75% for vaccine serotypes; the decrease in carriage is correlated with disease reduction in unvaccinated individuals, and the impact of herd immunity lasts for years. Based on these data, models for using herd immunity in vaccine-based prevention strategies are underway for control of meningitis in sub-Saharan Africa. Although the immunologic basis of herd immunity and impact on microbial biology need more study, protecting the unvaccinated by altering pathogen transmission dynamics is a powerful effect of PPCVs and increasingly important in vaccine introduction, implementation, and evaluation strategies.

[Neonatal enterovirus meningitis: transmission via parents during rooming-in and current epidemiology in Germany]. / Neonatale Enterovirus-Meningitis: Transmission durch die Eltern beim familiären Rooming-in und derzeitige Epidemiologie der Erkrankung in Deutschland.

INTRODUCTION: Non-polio-enterovirus infections are common in children and adults and usually lead to a mild, self-limiting disease. Perinatally acquired enterovirus infections, however, may lead to a severe disease including meningitis, encephalitis, hepatitis, coagulopathy or myocarditis. The mode of transmission may be not obvious. METHODS: 2 cases of neonatal enterovirus meningitis are presented. The disease was probably transmitted by the parents after birth during rooming-in within the hospital. The frequency of neonatal enterovirus infections in Germany was determined by analysing data of the enterovirus surveillance system of the national commission for polio eradication. RESULTS: In both cases, the parents suffered from a febrile infection. In case 1, transmission by the febrile mother was suspected. In case 2, transmission of Coxsackie B5-virus by the father was confirmed by viral culture. Both neonates exhibited fever, one patient had the typical clinical signs of meningitis. Levels of inflammatory indicators in blood (CRP, IL-6) were remarkably low. From 2006 to 2009, 322 neonates were included within the voluntary, passive enterovirus surveillance system. In 81 patients (25%) an enterovirus was detected via RT-PCR. The yearly frequency of infections was between 8 and 21. In 58 of 322 specimens (18%) serotyping was possible. CONCLUSION: Infections with enterovirus are both clinically and epidemiologically relevant during the neonatal period. Predominantly in the typical season, from June to October, enteroviral infections may be an important differential diagnosis to neonatal sepsis. The infection may be transmitted via infected parents during rooming-in within the hospital.