Non-invasive test can quickly spot meningitis in babies

By Stephen Beech

Meningitis can be quickly spotted in babies with "great accuracy" thanks to a new non-invasive test.

A study showed that it identified the potentially deadly infection in newborns and infants with 94% accuracy, potentially transforming current screening methods based on traditional lumbar punctures.

Doctors say the high-resolution ultrasound device offers a non-invasive alternative to a lumbar puncture, also known as a spinal tap, where a needle is inserted into the lower back to collect cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for analysis.

Meningitis is an inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord.

When caused by bacteria or fungi, it can be fatal if not diagnosed and treated early.

Even in cases where the disease is overcome, it can leave serious after-effects, including brain damage.

Despite medical advances in recent decades, meningitis remains a major threat to child health.

Currently, diagnosing meningitis requires a lumbar puncture to collect CSF, which is then analyzed in the lab for signs of inflammation, such as elevated white blood cell counts.

But it is an invasive technique, with associated risks and practical limitations.

The new international study, published in the journal Pediatric Research, was led by scientists at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) in Spain, and involved patients at hospitals in Spain, Mozambique and Morocco.

The aim was to validate the "Neosonics" device, which uses high-frequency ultrasound applied through the baby’s open fontanelle - a membranous gap between the bones of the skull, which has not yet closed- to visualize and analyze CSF.

A deep learning algorithm interprets the images, identifies and counts the cells, and determines whether there are inflammatory signs consistent with meningitis.

The study, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, was conducted between 2020 and 2023 and included more than 200 babies aged up to 24 months.

Lead author Dr. Sara Ajanovic, of ISGlobal, said: “The device was able to correctly classify 17 out of 18 meningitis cases and 55 out of 58 controls without meningitis.

“Specifically, it detected high white blood cell levels in cerebrospinal fluid with approximately 94% sensitivity and 95% specificity.”

She says the new device - cost-effective, portable and easy to use - could not only reduce lumbar punctures, but can also be used in clinically unstable patients where lumbar puncture isn't possible.

Study senior author Professor Quique Bassat, ISGlobal’s director general, added: “Introducing a non-invasive tool could reduce unnecessary antibiotic use, prevent complications associated with lumbar puncture, and improve both early diagnosis and non-invasive monitoring of treatment response.”

He said the validation of Neosonics marks a first step towards its future incorporation into clinical practice.