In CSF of mice with pneumococcal meningitis compared to saline inoculated mice, IL-6 (median 26 versus 2772 pg/ml, P = < 0.001), KC (median 84 versus 8369 pg/ml, P = 0.002), MIP-2 (median 63 versus 5542 pg/ml, P = 0.002) and RANTES (median 21 versus 309 pg/ml, P = 0.005) are elevated 30 hours post infection. Here, CCL5 is linked to pneumococcal meningitis.