The epidemiological profile of meningitis among adults in a South African district hospital

Introduction: understanding the epidemiological profile of a disease in a particular region allows for proper planning of public health resources for prevention, early diagnosis and treatment. In this present study, we describe the epidemiological profile of viral, fungal, tuberculous and bacterial meningitis among adults at National District Hospital (NDH), Free State province, over three years period (January 2017 to December 2019). Methods: a retrospective, observational study of all adult meningitis cases, managed at the National District Hospital (NDH) Bloemfontein, Free State Province, South Africa between January 2017 and December 2019. Results: (n = 10; 45.5%). Conclusion: our study suggests that combining information on patient demography, co-morbidities, clinical presentation, and examination findings can substantially contribute to raising clinical suspicion, leading to swift identification, diagnosis, and treatment of patients.