Introduction: About 2 000-3 000 cases of meningitis and/or encephalitis of viral or bacterial etiology are recorded every year in Poland.
Aim of the study: The aim of this study was to assess the epidemiology of meningitis and/or encephalitis in Poland in 2011 and compare it to the situation in previous years.
Materials and methods: Assessment of the epidemiological situation of meningitis and/or encephalitis in Poland in 2011, was based on the results of analysis of epidemiological interviews sent to the NIZP-PZH by the Regional Sanitary-Epidemiological Stations published in the annual bulletin "Infectious diseases and poisonings in Poland in 2011" and "Preventive immunizations in Poland in 2011" (Czarkowski MP. et al., Warsaw, NIZP-PZH, GIS).
Results: In 2011 in Poland it was recorded 2 915 cases of meningitis and/or encephalitis. This included 1 438 cases of viral etiology, 888 of bacterial etiology and 589 of other etiology specified or unspecified. Among the reported cases of bacterial meningitis and/or encephalitis dominant etiological factor was N. meningitidis (193), S. pneumoniae (192) and H. influenzae type B (11). Among the infections of viral etiology predominated was virus of tick-borne encephalitis (221).
Summary and conclusions: The epidemiological situation of inflammatory meningitis - meningitis and/or brain in Poland in 2011 compared to 2010 did not change significantly.