Rapport sur la Meningite Cerebrospinale Epidemique a Teheran

Abstract

Thirty cases have been studied in the recent epidemic of meningococcal meningitis. In fourteen of these cases organisms were isolated.
In all these the organisms were proved to be meningococcus type A; with following characteristics:
1-Different culture media were tried; blood agar was found to be the best.                                                                                                                                                            

2-One week after the onset of the illness, serum test was tried with the patient's sera and meningococci type A. All were positive (1/160-1/640). The reaction was negative with the organisms of types B, C and also with the sera of patients suffering from lymphocytic meningitis.                             

3-Crossed agglutination was positive with the serum obtained from each patient; and the organisms isolated from the other; thus
prov ing the common origin of the epidemic.

4-In most of the cases seroprecipitation from centrifugated C.S.F. with antimeningococcal A serum was positive.

5-All the strains obtained were highly sensitive to sulphonamides, The sensitivity to penicillin, erythromycin, oleandomycin and chloramphenicol was fairly good; but to other antibiotics it was less marked.

6-This sensitivity to sulfonamides has not deterioted up to this date, and we have not found any strain resistent to this drug.

7-The clinical pattern of the disease has somewhat changed during the course of the epidemic. At first classical types were more often seen, hut later the cases admitted were more severe, with Coma and convulsion