[Meningitis and encephalitis in Poland in 2002].

In Poland, 861 cases of bacterial meningitis and encephalitis, 307 cases of viral encephalitis, 1022 of viral meningitis and 286 cases of meningitis and encephalitis of other or unknown etiology were reported in 2002. Incidence of the bacterial central nervous system infections has been declining over the past decade and the level of viral infections, following the outbreak in the mid-nineties, remained stable. Etiological factor was determined in 365 (42%) cases of bacterial meningitis/encephalitis. Among them Neisseria meningitidis was found in 90 cases, Haemophilus influenzae in 72 cases and Streptococcus pneumoniae in 85 cases. As in the past type B was the predominant type of N. meningitidis cultured from the patients, but type C appears to be on the rise accounting for 35% of the serotyped strains. 126 cases of tick borne encephalitis were reported in Poland in 2002, most of them from endemic areas of north-eastern part of the country.