Bacteriological Profile and Prevalence of Cerebrospinal Fluid Isolates at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, Nigeria: A 2-Year Retrospective Study (2024–2026)

Background: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) culture provides laboratory information about microorganisms recovered from patients investigated for suspected meningitis. Local descriptions of CSF isolates are useful because the distribution of microorganisms may differ between hospital settings and age groups. Objective: To describe the frequency of CSF culture positivity and the distribution of recovered microorganisms at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, Nigeria, between August 2024 and August 2026. Methods: This retrospective study reviewed 291 CSF culture records from the hospital microbiology database. Available demographic information, hospital location and microbiological results were analysed descriptively using frequencies and percentages. Results: Of 291 submitted CSF specimens, 76 yielded microbial growth, giving an overall culture-positivity rate of 26.1%. Culture positivity was 52.9% among neonates aged 0–28 days and 6.3% among children aged 1–17 years. The Special Care Baby Unit had six positive cultures among seven specimens (85.7%). Table-based isolate counts totalled 81, comprising 33 Gram-positive cocci (40.7%), 33 Gram-negative bacilli (40.7%) and 15 yeasts (18.5%). Staphylococcus aureus was the most frequently reported organism (30 isolates; 37.0%), followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae (20; 24.7%). Conclusion: The findings describe the local distribution of organisms recovered from submitted CSF specimens, with substantial variation across age groups and hospital wards. The difference between culture-positive specimen counts and recorded isolate counts requires verification, and the results do not establish population-level meningitis incidence.