Molecular Identification of Meningitis-Causing Pathogens Using PCR in Rzgari Hospital, Erbil– Iraq

Meningitis is an illness that has life-threatening consequences and represents a critical public health problem. The problem has necessitated the need for fast and accurate diagnostic methods for identifying the causative microbes of the illness. In this regard, the research was conducted with the objective of determining the bacterial cause of meningitis in patients suspected of having the illness using real-time PCR. The research was conducted using 130 CSF specimens from patients between the ages of 14 and 56 years, obtained from Rzgari Hospital in Erbil between April 15 and May 15, 2025. The research results showed that Neisseria meningitis was the predominant causative agent of bacterial meningitis, accounting for 54% of all positive bacterial pathogens identified using the Real-Time PCR. Haemophilus influenzae came in second with 38%, and Streptococcus pneumoniae came in third with 7.4%. The research has shown that PCR is an accurate and fast diagnostic approach for microbial diseases and should be used.