Journal of Research in Medical Sciences1735-199516220110219Bacterial meningitis: a new risk factor57555755ENRamezanAliAtaeeAliMehrabiTavanaMortezaIzadiHealth Research Center and Department of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. morteza_izadi@yahoo.comSayed MohammadJavadHosseiniMohammadHosseinAtaee2010071420101002BACKGROUND: 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.KEYWORDS: Meningitis, Bacterial, Coagulase, Risk Factors, Staphylococcal, Enterotoxin.