Seasonal variation in the incidence rate of tuberculous meningitis is associated with sunshine hours

Tuberculous meningitis (TBM) is a severe complication of tuberculosis and occurs mainly during early childhood. The incidence rate of TBM varies with season, and serum vitamin D levels, which are dependent on sunlight, might play a role. We studied the association between TBM incidence rate and hours of sunshine in Cape Town, South Africa and found a significant association between the incidence rate of TBM and hours of sunshine 3 months earlier (incidence rate ratio per 100 sunshine hours 0.69, 95% confidence interval 0.54-0.88, P=0.002). The association supports the hypothesis that vitamin D might play a role in the pathophysiology of TBM. Further prospective studies in which vitamin D status is measured are necessary to determine causality.