The most complete and detailed information about meningococcal meningitis

Meningococcal encephalitis is particularly dangerous because it can kill patients very quickly within 24 hours after the first symptoms are detected.

• The "must know" handbook to combat meningococcal meningitis

• The disease can be fatal after only 24 hours

• Meningococcal disease warning increases across the country

• Hanoi recorded the first case of dangerous meningococcal encephalitis

What is meningococcal disease?

Encephalitis, meningococcal meningitis (referred to as "meningococcal inflammation") is an acute infectious disease caused by the bacterium Neisseria meningtidis .

Unlike other viral meningitis, it can take the life of a healthy person within 24 hours after the first symptoms appear.

This bacterium resides in the human oropharynx (single reservoir).

The worldwide pathogenic bacteria are largely due to type A, B, C, W135 and Y .

The disease can occur everywhere, making it easy to spread due to spread.

All healthy people of different ages can develop meningococcal disease, but most common in young children from 3 months to 5 years old and adolescents and adolescents aged 14-20 years.

The incidence of children under 2 years old is very high, about 50%, while in adults about 25%.

The disease usually occurs in crowded places, cramped and poor living conditions, often in the cold and seasonal seasons.

In Vietnam, the disease occurs all year round, a favorable time is likely to occur in autumn, winter and spring.

Meningococcal encephalitis can take the life of a healthy person within 24 hours after the first symptoms appear.

Causes and pathways of meningococcal infection

Meningococcal bacteria are the most common cause of bacterial meningitis in children, and are the leading cause of bacterial meningitis in adults (distinguished from viral meningitis). .

The reservoir of meningococcal bacteria is in humans, so the source of infection is mainly patients with meningococcal disease, and healthy people carrying bacteria (carrying germs but not infected, bacteria that are resident in the nose and throat area) .

Inhalation is caused by inhaling the droplets of respiratory secretions that contain pathogens from an infected person during the incubation or illness period.

The disease can also be spread indirectly through skin contact or daily utensils, such as cups, cups and phones.

Fortunately, these bacteria are not as contagious as bacteria that cause colds or flu, ie do not spread through casual contact or by breathing air.

Sometimes the bacteria Neisseria meningitidis spread to people who have had close contact or prolonged contact with a patient with meningitis.

People in the same family, roommates, or anyone who has direct contact with the patient's fluids will be considered at risk of infection.

Close contact environments such as dormitories, campsites, and schools are places at high risk of transmission.

Symptoms of meningococcal inflammation

According to the World Health Organization, the most sudden and common occurrences are:

• Stiff neck.
• High fever.
• Sensitive to light (fear of light).
• Puzzled, headache.
• Vomiting.

If you see one of the symptoms above, hurry to the hospital to check it out.

Symptoms of meningitis may appear quickly or for several days . Usually, the disease develops within 3-7 days after exposure to the source.

In infants and young children, typical meningitis symptoms are high fever, headache, stiff neck and anorexia or refusal to eat.

In young children, bulging or unusual reflexes can also be a sign of meningitis.

Symptoms of bacterial meningitis can be very serious (eg seizures, coma).

Even if the disease is diagnosed early and treated appropriately from the start, 5% to 10% of patients still die, usually within 24-48 hours after the onset of symptoms.

For these reasons, if you see babies and young children with any of the above symptoms, call your doctor or go to a health center right away.

Or for adults, whoever thinks they have symptoms of meningitis, don't be subjective, go to the doctor as soon as possible.

Complications, consequences of meningococcal bacteria

People infected with meningococcal bacteria can get blood sugar infection. Patients with very high fever, up to 40-41 degrees Celsius. The fever usually lasts continuously with chills, headache, body aches and pains.

After that, they may have hemorrhage, even a regional hemorrhage causing skin necrosis, peeling .

The most serious complication of men with meningococcal bacteria is meningitis. This condition usually occurs after an infected person has an infection in the nasopharynx, a bacterial infection of the blood.

However, some people onset of the disease have symptoms of meningitis. People with meningococcal infection with meningitis often have a fever suddenly 39-40 degrees Celsius, fatigue, headache, vomiting. Patients also show signs of confusion, panic, seizures and coma.

Meningococcal meningitis progresses very quickly and is difficult to detect in the early stages, because symptoms are similar to meningitis caused by normal viral infections. The disease can lead to death or disability within 24 hours of symptoms.

If the patient is fortunate to survive, he may have serious sequelae such as the removal of limbs, fingers, toes, leaving brain damage, hearing loss, kidney damage and mental problems. physical.

Diagnosis and treatment of meningococcal encephalitis

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), early diagnosis and treatment are very important.

If a patient with meningococcal disease is suspected, immediately blood samples, cerebrospinal fluid (fluid near the spinal cord) must be collected and sent to the laboratory for testing.

It is important to correctly diagnose if it is meningitis, the severity of the disease and treatment will vary depending on the cause.

Meningitis can be effectively treated with some antibiotics. It is important that treatment is started as soon as possible. If it is suspected that antibiotic encephalopathy is used immediately.

Antibiotic treatment will reduce the risk of death, but sometimes infection has caused too much damage to the body, antibiotics only to prevent death or serious long-term problems.

The most serious complication of men with meningococcal bacteria is meningitis.

And even with antibiotic treatment, 10% to 15% of people with meningitis can still die; 11% -19% of survivors will have long-term disabilities, such as loss of limbs, deafness, nervous system problems, or brain damage.

A variety of antibiotics can be used to treat infections, including: penicillin, ampicillin, chloramphenicol and ceftriaxone (in Africa in areas with limited medical infrastructure and common human resources) use ceftriaxone).

Depending on the level of infection, other treatments may also be needed. Examples include respiratory support, medications to treat low blood pressure, and wound care for body parts.

How to prevent meningococcal disease

In Vietnam, in 2015 and the first months of 2016, there were cases of scattered meningococcal encephalitis in some localities such as Ho Chi Minh City, Son La, Hoa Binh, Gia Lai, Nam Dinh, Lang Son, Hai Duong .

If you are in an area with illness, you need:

• The room does not hit or inhale other respiratory secretions of other people by shooting: when going to crowded places like markets, bus stations, ships, wear masks to protect themselves.
• Good personal hygiene: Regularly wash your hands with soap, rinse mouth and throat with regular nasal antiseptic solutions 3 times / day.
• Good hygiene at the place of residence and work place.
• Actively vaccinate against meningococcal meningitis at vaccination facilities.

* About vaccination, note the following 2 things:

• After 10 days of injection, the body will have immunity to protection and this antibody will decrease in the third year, so after 2 years from the first injection, the second injection is recommended to maintain long-term protection.
• The subjects in need of injections are children aged 2-5 years, adolescents under 20 years of age, and other at-risk subjects such as health workers who often come in contact with infectious diseases, those who work in crowded places. areas with epidemics, regions where epidemics often occur .

According to WHO, vaccination is recommended as the best protection against meningitis. Maintaining a healthy routine, such as plenty of rest and close contact with an infected person, can also help prevent meningococcal inflammation.

There are vaccines that provide protection against all three serogroups (B, C, and Y) of the common Neisseria meningitidis bacteria in the United States.

As with any vaccine, meningococcal vaccine is not 100% effective . That means that even if you have been vaccinated, there is still a chance you can develop some group meningococcal disease.

Therefore, it is very important to know the symptoms of meningococcal meningitis in order to have early check-ups and medical care.

TS-BS Tran Phu Manh Sieu - Director of Ho Chi Minh City Preventive Medicine Center said that vaccination for meningococcal encephalitis is voluntary.

For years, Vietnam has used A + C meningococcal vaccine . Recently, there has been a new vaccine to prevent type B and C. meningococcal meningitis.

Vaccines Meningococcal A + C should not be given to children under 2 years of age. If the child has contact with patients infected with Meningococcus A + C, they can be vaccinated if the child is over 6 months old.

Do not inject Meningococcal BC vaccine for pregnant women unless absolutely necessary and the risk of epidemiology is high.

The appropriate age for vaccination is children over 2 years and adults, about 3-5 years of repeated injections. The price of the vaccine is about 150,000 VND / nose.