Antibiotic susceptibility and serotype distribution of 240 XXXX causing meningitis in Belgium 1997-2000.

@entity1 @entity2176 @entity3477 @entity114 @entity2506 @entity3524 @entity2887 @entity328
Cerebrospinal fluid isolates of @entity328 , collected during the years 1997-2000 at more than 100 Belgian laboratories were studied. The 10 most common serotypes-serogroups representing 76% of the isolates were 14, 6, 9, 19, 23, 18, 4, 10, 8 and 12 (in order of frequency). Thirty-six percent of strains were isolated in @entity1 < 5 years old. In this age group the number of serogroups was more limited and 81.4% are included in the 7-valent conjugate vaccine. Decreased susceptibility to @entity114 was observed in 13.9% of 237 strains (MIC > 0.06 mg/L), with only 2.1% resistant strains (MIC > 1 mg/L). Twelve strains showed reduced susceptibility to @entity3524 (MIC > 0.5 mg/L). Only three of the 237 strains were intermediately susceptible to meropenem. All strains were susceptible to @entity2176 and @entity3477 . In Belgium, high doses of third generation cephalosporins remain effective for the treatment of @entity2506 . The new @entity2887 seem the most promising agents for the treatment of @entity2506 in the future.
