Barw Barw Medical Journal 2960-1959 2024 05 10 Viral Meningitis (Enterovirus) Outbreak in The Pediatric Population of Sulaymaniyah Governorate, Iraq: A Multi-Center Experience 10.58742/bmj.v2i2.88 eng Zana Baqi Najmadden Research Center, University of Halabja, Halabja, Iraq. zana14@gmail.com Khalid Hama Salih College of Medicine, University of Sulaimani, Madam Mitterrand Street, Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan, Iraq. khalid12@gmail.com Bakhtyar Qadr Hama khurshid Pediatric Teaching Hospital, Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan, Iraq. Bakhtyar.khurshid@gmail.com Soran M. Ahmed Kalar General Hospital, Kalar, Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan, Iraq. Soran.Ahmed@gmail.com Safeen O. Mahmood Faculty of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Department of Medical Microbiology, University of Sulaimani, Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan, Iraq. Safeen.Mahmood@gmail.com Aras Hamasaeed Faraj Ministry of Health, Halabja Pediatric and Maternity Hospital, Halabja, Kurdistan, Iraq. Aras.Faraj@gmail.com Gasha S. Ahmed Department of Medical Laboratory Science, College of Health Sciences, University of Human Development, Kurdistan, Sulaymaniyah, Iraq. Gasha.Ahmed@gmail.com Jihad Ibrahim Hama Research Center, University of Halabja, Halabja, Kurdistan, Iraq. jihad.hama@gmail.com Azad Mustafa Qadir Halabja General Health Directorate, Ministry of Health, Halabja, Kurdistan, Iraq. Azad.Qadir@gmail.com Mohammed Subhan Mohammed Research Center, University of Halabja, Halabja, Kurdistan, Iraq. mohammed111@gmail.com Marwan N. Hassan Smart Health Tower, Madam Mitterrand Street, Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan, Iraq. marwan.nasih12@gmail.com 2024 04 05 Introduction Viral meningitis, often caused by enteroviruses in children, is prevalent globally but is difficult to distinguish from bacterial forms. Molecular testing like PCR is vital; however. This study investigates the characteristics of viral meningitis in pediatric patients during an outbreak in   Sulaymaniyah Governorate, Iraq. Methods This is a multicentered prospective study that included children with a confirmed diagnosis of viral meningitis who have visited pediatric clinics throughout Sulaimani, Halabja, Kalar, and Ranya cities during the period from May 2023 to June 2023. Results In total, 116 cases were included, of whom 75 (64.7%) were male and had a mean age of 6.5 ± 3.2. Most were between the ages of 4-6 (38, 32.8%) and 7-12 years (55, 47.4%). Only 53.4% had contact with another patient. Common symptoms included fever (63.8%) and headache (62.1%). Lymphocyte predominance was observed in 46.6% of CSF samples. Upon molecular diagnosis, the inflammation in all of the cases was due to enterovirus infection. Most of the patients (75%) received empirical antibiotics. The average hospital stay was 10 days. While 95.7% of patients had no complications during recovery, a few experienced issues like weakness and malaise. All had good clinical outcomes. Conclusion The viral meningitis outbreak in Sulaymaniyah Governorate is caused by enterovirus, with epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory findings similar to that of the literature. The condition has resulted in a high prescription rate of empirical antibiotics due to late diagnosis.