Authors: MS Sow, ST Diallo, A Camara, M Camara, D Cissé, AFB Magassouba, A Touré
Objective: Identify the etiogies of meningitis in Guinea.
Methods: This retrospective and descriptive study was carried out at the Microbiology Unit of the laboratory of the National Institute of Public Health (Guinea), using data from samples of Cerebro-Spinal Liquid (LCS) recorded in the database during the year 2017 of the said unit. The samples received were analyzed by various bacteriological and mycotic examinations (Gram stain, staining with Indian ink for Cryptococcus research, culture,) immunological (agglutination tests allowing the detection of antigens of the germs responsible for meningitis) and molecular (the polymerase chain reaction). The analyzes were performed with version 20 SPSS software.
Results: Data from 347 LCS samples were analyzed. Among which 31 samples were confirmed for meningitis, corresponding to (9%). These positive samples were dominated by men, 58% with a sex ratio of 1.3. The mean age of the patients was 28.95 ± 26.66 years. 29 samples were analyzed by microscopy, among them 13 showed germs, that is (44.83%). The agglutination tests were carried out on 25 samples, 15 of which had germs (60%). Out of 31 samples having benefited from the culture, 11 allowed the isolation and identification of bacteria, or 35.48%. In our study, Cryptococcusneoformans was the most found with 14 cases, or 46.16, followed by Streptococcus pneumoniae and Hæmophilus influenzae type B with respectively, 8 and 6, ie 25.81 and 19.35%.
Conclusion: It emerges from this study that the frequency of meningitis diagnosed in the laboratory of the national institute of public health in 2017 was 9%. The most frequent etiologies were Cryptococcusneoformans, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Hæmophilus influenzae type B.
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