Bacterial meningitis: a new risk factor

Background: the purpose of this study is to discuss a possible new risk factor for the bacterial meningitis. methods: cerebrospinal fluid collected from 270 patients was assayed. an enzyme immunosorbent assay for the detection of staphylococcal enterotoxins a to e was used. results: the results indicated that the frequency of coagulase negative staphylococci (cons) was 35 (20.46%). an important finding of this research was that the cons isolates produced enterotoxin c and d or enterotoxin c and e. conclusions: this is the first report of enterotoxin-producing coagulase negative staphylococci isolated from csf patients. therefore, these enterotoxins probably act as risk factors in the bacterial invasion into central nervous system.