The epidemiology of bacterial meningitis in the United States during 2008-2023: an analysis of active, laboratory, population-based, multistate surveillance data.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Bacterial meningitis is a severe syndrome with dynamic epidemiology, but assessments of current trends are limited. We aimed to describe changing epidemiologic patterns among common bacterial causes of meningitis in the United States.

Methods

We analyzed data on bacterial meningitis cases caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, group B Streptococcus (GBS), Haemophilus influenzae, Neisseria meningitidis, and Listeria monocytogenes in 10 U.S. surveillance sites. We compared incidence (cases per 100,000) across four epidemiologic periods: 2008-2009, 2010-2019, 2020-2021, and 2022-2023.

Findings

We identified 5,032 bacterial meningitis cases; among those with outcome data, 11% (573/5028) died. S. pneumoniae was the dominant pathog

SUBMITTER: Prasad N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12141951 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature