Why is the death rate so high amongst adults with meningitis in Africa
Current research
- Elizabeth Central Hospital & Department of Microbiology, Blantyre, Malawi, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
- Researchers:
Dr David Lalloo, Dr Katharine Cartwright, Dr Matthew Kelly, Prof Rob Heyderman, Prof Tom Solomon
- Start Date: 23 June 2009
- Type: Lay summary
- View scientific version
In Africa, death occurs in over half of adults suffering from bacterial meningitis. In those who survive, disability is common. In contrast, in countries such as the UK, death occurs in fewer than in 10% of those affected.
Previous research in Africa (supported by Meningitis Research Foundation) has tested several potential new treatments, but the results have been disappointing. We think that if there are going to be improvements in the outlook for adults with meningitis in Africa, we need to find out why the death rate is so high. There are several possibilities:
- Patients come to hospital late or do not receive prompt treatment;
- Living in hot countries and being ill for a long time means that meningitis sufferers get very dehydrated and their body salts get depleted;
- Meningitis patients in Africa aren’t treated effectively with antibiotics;
- Complications due to the high rate of HIV infection in this population;
- Bacterial meningitis sufferers also have other brain viral infections that prevent recovery.
This project will focus on the contribution of HIV and other viruses to this poor outcome. The results will enable us to identify new targets for treatment in addition to the usual antibiotics. These treatments may include anti-virus drugs and drugs against HIV that are highly active in the brain.