The rise and fall of epidemic Neisseria meningitidis from a tertiary care hospital in Delhi, January 2005-June 2007.

Meningococcal meningitis is endemic in India. There has been a sudden surge of cases of meningococcal meningitis in 2005 in Delhi. Present study was undertaken to find out changing trends in incidence of this disease from a tertiary care hospital in New Delhi over a period of two and half years. All samples from suspected cases of meningococcal meningitis were subjected to Gram staining, culture and latex agglutination test for detection of Neisseria meningitidis (N.meningitidis). Antimicrobial susceptibility of all isolates was performed using the disc diffusion test. 78.6%, 71.4% and 100% of the samples were positive for N.meningitidis by smear examination, culture and latex agglutination test respectively. Except for resistance to Penicillin and Erythromycin in 8.8% and 5.9%, the isolates were sensitive to the commonly used antibiotics. Using simple, rapid and reliable methods for diagnosis, defining risk factors and continuing surveillance remain important public health goals for the control of meningococcal disease.