Escherichia coli meningitis during bacteremia in the Ibrahima-Diop-Mar infectious diseases clinic, Dakar Fann National Hospital Center (Senegal)

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to describe epidemiological, clinical, and bacteriological aspects of Escherichia coli bacteremia and meningitis in the Ibrahima-Diop-Mar infectious diseases clinic, Dakar Fann National Hospital Center (Senegal). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data was collected from the bacteriology laboratory and hospitalization files. RESULTS: 57 cases of E. coli bacteremia were reported. Among them, 10 were associated with meningitis. AIDS was diagnosed in 74% of the cases. The global lethality rate was 47% but this rate was higher in cases of associated meningitis (80 vs 37%) and in AIDS patients (50 vs 27%). Ceftriaxone, aztreonam, gentamicin, and ciprofloxacin were active on more than 95% of strains but cotrimoxazole was active on only 49% of the strains. Resistance to cotrimoxazole was higher among E. coli strains isolated from AIDS patients (62 vs 13%). CONCLUSION: The low susceptibility to cotrimoxazole might increase the incidence of E. coli infections among patients with AIDS. It is therefore important to find an alternative to cotrimoxazole chemoprophylaxis.