{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,28]],"date-time":"2026-08-28T03:00:44Z","timestamp":1787886044838,"version":"build-2784847793"},"reference-count":43,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,18]],"date-time":"2025-03-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1742256000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["TropicalMed"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The transmission dynamics of many pathogens were altered during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Several factors, including control measures and social distancing, have influenced the circulation and epidemiology of major etiological agents of meningitis during this period. This review examined trends in the primary etiologic agents of meningitis during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. A comprehensive literature search was conducted using the MEDLINE, Embase, LILACS, and SciELO databases for studies published between 2020 and 2024. The data were summarized descriptively and reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Thirty-eight studies are included in this review. Bacterial and viral meningitis pathogens exhibited significant epidemiological shifts during the pandemic. A marked decline in infections caused by the enteroviruses, Neisseria meningitidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Haemophilus influenzae was observed from 2020 to 2021 in the northern and southern hemispheres during the pandemic. Post-pandemic, meningitis cases increased, with a resurgence in various countries. Despite the heterogeneity of the studies, the evidence indicates that the COVID-19 pandemic significantly affected the epidemiology of meningitis-causing microorganisms during and after the pandemic. Understanding these epidemiological shifts and dynamics is crucial for defining the control measures, vaccination strategies, and public health policies in the post-COVID-19 era.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/tropicalmed10030081","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,3,18]],"date-time":"2025-03-18T07:20:00Z","timestamp":1742282400000},"page":"81","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Alterations and Dynamics of Major Meningitis Etiological Agents During and Post-COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"10","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8978-9903","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lu\u00eds Arthur Brasil Gadelha","family":"Farias","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Laborat\u00f3rio de Investiga\u00e7\u00e3o M\u00e9dica\u2014LIM 49, Department of Infectious Diseases of Hospital das Cl\u00ednicas, University of S\u00e3o Paulo, S\u00e3o Paulo 05508-220, Brazil"},{"name":"S\u00e3o Jos\u00e9 Hospital for Infectious Diseases, Fortaleza 60455-610, Brazil"},{"name":"Christus University Center (Unichristus), Fortaleza 60160-230, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-8373-3764","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Larissa Santos","family":"Weyne","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Christus University Center (Unichristus), Fortaleza 60160-230, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0000-9305-1250","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lenifer Siqueira","family":"Landim","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Christus University Center (Unichristus), Fortaleza 60160-230, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4383-2187","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Pablo Eliack Linhares","family":"de Holanda","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"S\u00e3o Jos\u00e9 Hospital for Infectious Diseases, Fortaleza 60455-610, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1742-2758","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Aliniana da Silva","family":"Santos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Christus University Center (Unichristus), Fortaleza 60160-230, Brazil"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3440-1182","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Luciano Pamplona de G\u00f3es","family":"Cavalcanti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Christus University Center (Unichristus), Fortaleza 60160-230, Brazil"},{"name":"Public Health Department, Medicine Faculty, Federal University of Cear\u00e1, Fortaleza 60355-636, 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