[Meningitis and encephalitis in Poland in 2004].

In Poland, 2 725 cases of neuroinfections were reported in 2004, of which 945 had bacterial etiology, 1427 viral, and 353 cases had other or unknown origin. Incidence of bacterial neuroinfections increased in 2004, despite a decreasing trend observed during the past decade. Etiological factor was determined in 433 (46%) cases of bacterial neuroinfections. Among them Neisseria meningitidis was found in 119 cases, Haemophilus influenzae in 77 cases and Streptococcus pneumoniae in 107 cases. As in the previous years, serotype B was the predominant type of N. meningitidis cultured from patients, but type C appears to be systematically increasing, accounting for 27% of the strains serotyped in 2004. Viral neuroinfections were less common in 2004, compared to previous years. Etiological factor of central nervous system aseptic infections were established only in 17% of cases. Among confirmed cases, there were 262 cases of tick-borne encephalitis and 15 cases of herpetic encephalitis. Tick borne encephalitis incidence decreased in 2004 (0.7), compared to 2003 (339 cases, incidence 0.9). Most of the cases were reported from endemic areas of north-eastern part of the country.