Meningococcal disease and preventive measures

Meningitis caused by meningococcal bacteria (Neisseria meningitidis), occurs mainly in children. This is a disease that develops due to the inflammation of the pus in the meninges that bacteria can enter through the bloodstream, lymphatic (hemorrhage or true septicemia) from a certain infection in the body. The disease is usually localized in the pericardial meninges.

Meningococcal bacteria - Neisseria meningitidis (Photo: ulb.ac) Meningococcal infection can manifest from rhinitis, throat, septicemia to meningitis. The disease is common in our country and can spread into epidemics.

Symptoms and manifestations

Depending on the disease, there are different symptoms.

Can inflammation of the upper respiratory tract (nose, throat): High fever suddenly 38-39 ^o C, headache, throat irritation, runny nose or pus. Fever lasts 5-7 days. Examination of tonsils, valvular arches, congested nasal mucosa, strong edema. Benign disease lasts only 5-7 days, this may be confused with some rhinitis, throat caused by pneumococcal bacteria, haemophilus influenzae or M. catarrhalis. If detected early and treated promptly, the disease will be cured.

Septicemia : May be a sepsis or may be paroxysmal.

Can sepsis purely due to meningococcal bacteria, high fever 40-41 ^o C, continuous or fluctuating, accompanied by chills, headache, fatigue of muscles, joints do not reside a certain place, after fever is an exogenous appearance. Outpatient symptoms are very valuable signs in diagnosis. It is possible that purpura or purpura have necrosis. After a fever of 5 to 15 hours, you will appear. The board can float all over the body but is often the end of the fingertips and the legs. The size of the board is large, uneven, and the rash does not appear in the same batch (not the same age) in the same area of ​​skin. The more severe the disease is, the boards become necrotic, and the liver and spleen can be seen. Blood pressure falls in shock cases.

Can exacerbate septicemia due to meningococcus, both manifesting sepsis and shock due to toxin infection of meningococcal bacteria: hypotension, fast, small blood pressure difficult to catch, low temperature (under 36 ^o C ), oliguria or anuria. The rash appears soon with severe necrosis, sometimes with internal bleeding. Without early detection and timely treatment, the disease becomes severe and the prognosis is very bad.

Can typical meningitis, typical : The disease occurs after the inflammation of the nose, throat or septicemia or occurs right from the beginning, including 2 typical syndromes:

- Syndrome of infection and poisoning: High fever suddenly 39-40 ^o C, continuous fever or fever in 2 phase. Fatigue, headache a lot.

- Meningeal syndrome: Usually appears early and quite full of symptoms such as severe headache, gastrointestinal disorders (vomiting, constipation). The patient lies in the trigger position, has signs of stiffness, Kernig, meningeal lines, photophobia and is often facing the wall.

In addition to mere meningitis, typically there is a metastatic meningitis - paroxysmal brain. Expression is high fever, irritation, struggle, convulsions and coma. Slow pulse, fluctuating blood pressure, severe respiratory disorders. In this case, if the situation is not handled promptly, the prognosis is very bad.

Need for cerebrospinal fluid puncture : increased pressure in typical meningitis, cerebrospinal fluid (mild case of medullary brain), protein increase but glucose and sodium chloride reduction. By single staining method, there are more than 3 white blood cells in a field (white blood cells are very high). Gram staining has a parietal coffee bean (Gram negative), both inside and outside of white blood cells. If conditions of bacterial culture are available, determine meningococcal bacteria by biological properties and specific antiserum agglutination of meningococcus.

Prevention and treatment

In order to avoid meningitis caused by brain tissue, personal hygiene is required, especially throat and mouth hygiene daily. Need to isolate patients and avoid contact with people who are sick because the bacteria can be transmitted by saliva, mucus, coughing, or coughing, and spraying air around the healthy people directly inhaling. Currently there is a specific vaccine, children under 36 months of age should get this vaccine to cause active immunity.

When meningococcal infection needs to isolate bacteria and conduct antibiotic sensitivity test, based on the results of antibiotic resistance to select the appropriate antibiotic treatment is best. In any facility that has not yet been able to isolate bacteria and make antibiotics, it is based on a treatment regimen.

Currently, it is in the hot weather that the disease is very contagious, so mothers should learn about the disease to avoid for their children.