During 1984, 8,326 cases of aseptic meningitis were reported to CDC. Isolates reported during August, September, and October accounted for 3,814 (45.8%) of the reported cases, with August being the peak month (1,472 cases, 17.7%). This pattern coincides closely with that of enterovirus isolations. The peak incidences for both occurred in the same months, either August or September, in 5 of the past 6 years.

BOTULISM (foodborne) - Cases, by year, United States, 1960-1984

Sixteen outbreaks (19 cases) of foodborne botulism were reported for 1984. Two of these outbreaks involved four individuals and were associated with eating fermented foods. Type E toxin was implicated. Type A toxin was associated with 13 of the remaining cases. Type B toxin was associated with one case, and for the other case a toxin type was not determined.

Of the 99 infant botulism cases reported in 1984, slightly more than half (56) were in females. The age range for all patients was 3-37 weeks. Type A toxin was found in 42 (42%) of the cases, type B toxin in 56 (57%), and both type A and B toxins were found in one.

BRUCELLOSIS — Rates, by year, United States, 1945-1984

For 1984, 131 cases of brucellosis were reported to CDC. The reported occurrence sharply decreased from 1947 until 1965 because of widespread adoption of dairy-product pasteurization and the bovine-brucellosis eradication program. The downward trend continued at a slower rate until 1978, when a plateau of approximately 0.1 cases/100,000 population/year was achieved.

Only one case of diphtheria was reported in 1984. The patient was a 66-year-old female. This represents the lowest total since such reporting began for what once was a major cause of infant morbidity and mortality. The slight increase in the incidence of diphtheria beginning in 1973 and peaking in 1975 represented cutaneous cases reported from Washington State. In the period 1980-1984, five or fewer cases of diphtheria were reported each year-all of which were noncutaneous cases-and 12 (75%) of the 16 cases in that period were among persons 20 years of age or older. Age distributions of persons with recent cases and of persons participating in serosurveys showed that many adults had inadequate levels of circulating antitoxin. These findings indicate that providers of health care need to ensure that adults are adequately vaccinated against diphtheria and tetanus in accordance with the recommendations of the Immunization Practices Advisory Committee (ACIP).