ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION TO CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM INFECTIONS Bacterial infections of the central nervous (CNS) are severe, life-threatening diseases. Although they are much rarer than bacterial infections of other organs, they are much more devastating, causing more severe morbidity with much higher morbidity rates. Despite modern antibiotic regimens, they still carry an unacceptably high death rate and permanent neurologic sequelae in surviving patients. Thus, bacterial infections of the CNS differ fundamentally from infections of other organs, even if initiated by the same pathogens. Escherichia coli mainly causes harmless, frequently asymptomatic urinary tract infections in adults; in contrast, in newborns, E. coli induces life-threatening bacterial meningitis. These clinical observations point to the crucial role of both host-and pathogen-associated parameters. In addition to the host immune system, specific features of the target organ also play an important role, particularly in the case of the CNS, which differs fundamentally from other organs because of its immunological privilege.
