Recurrent Meningitis in a Child from The Gambia
Author Information
Author(s): Antonio Martin, Oluwalana Claire, Secka Ousman, Corrah Tumani, Howie Stephen, Adegbola Richard A
Primary Institution: Bacterial Diseases Programme, Medical Research Council Laboratories, Banjul, The Gambia
Hypothesis
Is exogenous re-infection by Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 14 the cause of recurrent meningitis in a child?
Conclusion
The study shows that the recurrent meningitis in the child was due to new infection rather than relapse.
Supporting Evidence
- The child was treated successfully for the first episode of meningitis with ceftriaxone.
- The second episode was treated with chloramphenicol and penicillin, but the child suffered neurological sequelae.
- MLST analysis showed that the isolates from the two episodes were unrelated.
Takeaway
A baby in The Gambia got meningitis twice from the same germ, but it was a different version of the germ each time.
Methodology
The study used multilocus sequence typing (MLST) and eBURST analysis to assess the genetic relatedness of the pneumococcal isolates.
Limitations
The study could not investigate any underlying conditions in the child.
Participant Demographics
A six-month-old female from the Manjago tribe in a peri-urban coastal village.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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