ABSTRACT
I NT RO D UCTION I t has been reported that 1 8% of meningitis spinal fluids are culture-negative in untreated cases and 30% if the patient has received therapy. X The elevated lysozyme levels characteristic of men ingitis spinal fluid may explain the atypical growth.! That the organism is not i solated to pennit early specific therapy in many cases is shown by the permanent brain damage resulting in 38% of the 1 0,000 children in the U .S . who annually suffer meningitis .2 Most of the sequelae are prevented by early identification of the pathogen.
