All of the following statements about major microbes that may cause meningitis are true, EXCEPT:
In acute bacterial meningitis, age is an impoant factor relating the etiologic agent and the prognosis. Among adults (greater than 15 years), Streptococcus pneumoniae is responsible for 30-50% of meningitis infections, rather than Neisseria meningitidis, which is responsible for 10-35% of them. Among children (one month to five years), Haemophilus influenzae is the most common cause of bacterial meningitis (40-60%), followed by Neisseria meningitidis (25-40%) and Streptococcus pneumoniae (10-20%). Among neonates (less than one month), meningitis caused by gram-negative bacilli (50-60%) is the most common bacterial cause, followed by Streptococcus group A and group B (20-40%), and Listeria monocytogenes (2-10%). The fatality rate is high among the elderly due to S. pneumoniae; therefore, they should be given pneumococcal vaccine as a preventative. Ref: Ray C.G., Ryan K.J. (2010). Chapter 30. Neisseria. In C.G. Ray, K.J. Ryan (Eds),Sherris Medical Microbiology, 5e.
In neonates, they include E. coli, group B streptococci, and Listeria monocytogenes
In children from one month to six years of age, they include Haemophilus influenzae type B, Neisseria meningitidis, and Streptococcus pneumoniae
In young adults,they include N.meningitidis and S.pneumoniae
Among the elderly, they are due only to N. meningitidis