Table 1 Characteristics of patients

Number of cases

54

Age, years

35 [IQR, 25, 50]

Sex, male%

32 (60%)

Stockman

34 (63%)

Consumption of unpasteurized dairy products

51 (94%)

Symptoms and signs

 Fever

49 (91%)

 Headache

47 (87%)

 Nausea and vomiting

35 (65%)

 Sweating

13 (24%)

 Altered behavior

8 (15%)

 Seizures

6 (11%)

Signs

 Meningeal signs

36 (67)

 Focal neurologic deficits

13 (25)

 Decreased consciousness

12 (22)

Laboratory data

 CSF leukocytes (/µL)

75 [IQR, 14, 205]

 Lymphocyte predominance (%)

84 [IQR, 68, 94]

 CSF protein (mg/dL)

83 [IQR, 43, 145]

 CSF glucose (mg/dL)

39 [IQR, 24, 56]

 ESR, mm/hour

11 [IQR, 6, 20]

 CRP, mg/dL

5 [IQR, 0, 32]

Serologic and microbiological tests

 Serum Wright

1/1320 [IQR, 1/160, 1/640]

 Serum 2ME-Wright

1/1320 [IQR, 1/160, 1/640]

 Serum Coombs-Wright

1/320 [IQR, 1/232, 1/500]

 CSF Wright

1/4 [IQR, 1/2, 1/6]

 Positive blood culture

3 (5)

 Positive CSF culture

2 (4)

Abnormal neuroimaging findings* (n = 49)

6 (13)

Mortality

0