Meningitis Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Meningitis, including details on viral, bacterial, spinal, symptoms, treatment.

Assessment of the protective effect of pneumococcal vaccination in preventing meningitis after cochlear implantation.

Wei BP, Robins-Browne RM, Shepherd RK, Azzopardi K, Clark GM, O'Leary SJ

Bionic Ear Institute, Department of Otolaryngology, University of Melbourne, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, 32 Gisbourne St, East Melbourne, Victoria 3002, Australia. bwei@bionicear.org

OBJECTIVES: To examine if a 23-valent pneumococcal capsular polysaccharide vaccine (PPV23) reduces the risk of meningitis in healthy rats after cochlear implantation. DESIGN: Interventional animal study. INTERVENTIONS: Thirty-six rats (18 immunized and 18 unimmunized) received cochlear implantations and were then infected with Streptococcus pneumoniae via 3 different routes (hematogenous, middle ear, and inner ear) in numbers sufficient to induce meningitis. RESULTS: The rats with implants that received PPV23 were protected from meningitis when the bacteria were delivered via the hematogenous and middle-ear routes (Fisher exact test P<.05). However, the protective effect of the vaccine in the rats with implants was only moderate when the bacteria were inoculated directly into the inner ear. CONCLUSIONS: Our animal model clearly demonstrates that immunization can protect healthy rats with a cochlear implant from meningitis caused by a vaccine-covered serotype. This finding supports the notion that all current and future implant recipients should be vaccinated against S pneumoniae.

Published 16 October 2007 in Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg, 133(10): 987-94.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2004-2008 Meningitis Research Today. All Rights Reserved.