A study of 280 cases of neonatal meningitis in The Netherlands.

Within the framework of a more extensive study of the epidemiology of bacterial meningitis in The Netherlands (1976-1982), 280 cases of neonatal meningitis were investigated retrospectively. Escherichia coli (132 cases, 47%), Streptococcus agalactiae (68 cases, 24%), Listeria monocytogenes (12 cases, 4%) were the organisms most commonly isolated. The mortality rate for these 280 cases was 27%. The male-female ratio was 1.33:1. The minimum incidence for The Netherlands was calculated to be 23 per 100 000 live births.