Meningitis in newborns | Escherichia coli K1
Group B streptococci (Streptococcus agalctiae)
Listeria monocytogenes
Klebsiella pneumoniae |
Meningitis in infants and little children | Group B streptococci (Streptococcus agalactiae)
Neisseria meningitidis
Haemophilus influenzae
Streptococcus pneumoniae |
Meningitis in children, teenagers and young adults | Viruses (Coxackie A & B, Echoviruses, Herpes viruses, mumps virus)
Neisseria meningitidis
Streptococcus pneumoniae |
Meningitis in elderly people | Streptococcus pneumoniae
Listeria monocytogenes
Enterobacteriaceae
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Acinetobacter baumannii |
"Culture negative" meningitis (without paracites) | Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Candida albicans
Cryptococcus neoformans
Aspergillus
Mucor
Treponema pallidum
Borrelia burgdorferi
Leptospira interrogans
Rickettsia rickettsiae
Rickettsia prowazeki
Coxiella burnetii
Chlamydia psittaci
Mycoplasma pneumoniae |
"Culture negative" meningitis (only paracites) | Toxoplasma gondii
Plasmodium falciparum
Naegleria fowlerii |
Nosocomial meningitis | Staphylococcus aureus
Staphylococcus epidermidis
Gram-negative rods (Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii)
Enterococcus spp.
Candida spp |
What are the basic specimens for bacteriological diagnostics in CNS infection? | Cerebrospinal fluid
Blood (in 50-70% meningitis cases pathogen can be isolated from blood) |
What are the additional specimens (depending on the case) for CNS infection | Skin rash scrapings (for Neisseria meningitidis )
Materials from a primal focus of infection (ear swab, sputum, urine, wound swab)
Nasopharyngeal swab (for carriage detection)
Swab of vagina (for colonization detection) |
How do we collect CSF? | Cerebrospinal fluid is collected aseptically from lumbar puncture. After proper antiseptic treatment of
skin in lumbar area, the CSF sample is collected to sterile tubes preheated to 37°C. One part of CSF
should be sent for direct microscopy. CSF should be sent immediately to the lab (in time no longer
than 15 min in 37°C). In case of prolongation of transport (in 2h) temperature 37°C should be kept
and never lowered under 30°C. For bacteriological culture, CSF should be also additionally added to a
transport medium (preheated to 37°C) and sent in 37°C. |