Listeria-meningitis and -septicaemia in immunocompromised patients.

In the period from 1980-86 we obtained 51 strains of Listeria from meningitis in adults for serotyping and phage-typing. Ten strains were associated with meningitis and 3 with septicaemia of immunocompromised patients. They suffered from leukaemia, diabetes, Hodgkin's disease, alcoholism, lupus erythematodes. The lethality rate in these patients was 70%, in other patients with meningitis 30%. Phage typing has shown that 4b strains were often determined by the phage-code 00010 and similar codes. This phage-pattern might be specific for meningitis strains. The immunocomprised patient is especially endangered in taking up listeriae from the environment, but it must also be in consideration that listeriae may easy gain access from the gut into the vessels.