Scientific letters
Meningococcal infections in hospitalised patients in Pretoria
T Moodley, M R Lekalakala, L de Gouveia, Y Dangor, A A Hoosen
Abstract
We report on 13 patients diagnosed with meningococcal infections in patients attending state-owned hospitals serving an indigent population in Pretoria in 2009. The case fatality rate was 27%. Ceftriaxone was the main antibiotic (9 out of 13 patients) for therapy. Five isolates (39%) were serogroup B and 4 (31%) serogroup W135. Most isolates (12/13) were fully susceptible to penicillin (MIC range 0.016 - 0.047 g/ml). A single isolate was intermediately resistant to penicillin (MIC, 0.125 g/ml) while all isolates were uniformly susceptible to ceftriaxone, ciprofloxacin and rifampicin. This pattern reveals a shift in serogroups with an increase of serogroup B disease in the Pretoria region, and the need for ongoing monitoring of antimicrobial susceptibility profiles and the value of ceftriaxone for favourable therapeutic outcome.
Authors' affiliations
T Moodley, National Health Laboratory Services/ University of Pretoria
M R Lekalakala, National Health Laboratory Services/ University of Pretoria
L de Gouveia, National Institute of Communicable Diseases
Y Dangor, University of Pretoria
A A Hoosen, National Health Laboratory Services/ University of Pretoria
Keywords
Meningococcus, Chemoprophylaxis, Meningitis
Cite this article
South African Medical Journal 2011;101(10):736,738.
Article History
Date submitted: 2011-06-17
Date published: 2011-09-27
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