Flavobacterium meningosepticum.

lavobacterium meningosepticum is an opportunistic pathogen of low virulence found in the hospital environment in water-containing equipment. Of primary importance is its role in outbreaks of neonatal meningitis which tends to be severe with a high mortality rate and serious sequelae. Changing all equipment concerned with humidifying or administering gases every 24 hours can help prevent these outbreaks in neonatal nurseries. Treatment is difficult because of the resistance of F. meningosepticum to most antimicrobial agents used to treat meningitis. Sensitivity tests, using a MIC method, are mandatory for infections caused by F. meningosepticum and, pending these results, vancomycin, given intravenously and, if necessary, intrathecally, appears to be the drug of choice for initial therapy.