Pathogen:
Meningococcus, gram-negative diplococcus (Neisseria meningitidis); There are 13 serologically distinguishable groups.
Sources of infection:
- Healthy bacteria carrier (asymptomatic carrier of bacteria in the pharyngeal cavity);
- Patient with meningitis
Infection:
Infection occurs by airborne droplets (through a cough and runny nose).
Incubation period:
From 2 to 10 days.
Clinical picture of the disease:
The disease begins with uncharacteristic general ailments, then increasing, difficult-to-treat headaches, nausea, vomiting, high fever, neck stiffness and disturbances of consciousness, including loss of consciousness. In severe cases of the disease, rashes appear on the skin in the form of small hematomas, which can later unite. The onset of the disease can be acute. In an initially healthy person, the disease can develop within a few hours until loss of consciousness occurs.
In particularly severe cases of meningococcal disease, death is possible due to hemorrhage in the adrenal glands due to extensive bleeding disorders (Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome).
Diagnosis:
The disease is diagnosed using a spinal puncture (lumbar puncture). On the one hand, you can detect altered cerebrospinal fluid, as a result of the inflammatory process, on the other hand, you can determine the pathogen by the color of the cerebrospinal fluid. In addition, the pathogen can be detected in a bacterial culture during sowing. Serological tests are also used.
Treatment:
To treat the disease, immediate initiation of antibiotic therapy (penicillin, cephalosporin) is extremely important. Most often, additional intensive therapy is required. The outcome of the disease mainly depends on timely treatment. In 5-10% of cases, the disease turns out to be fatal. This is why it is so important to start treatment immediately. In the absence of access to proper medical care, the percentage of deaths increases to 60–80%.
Prevalence:
Meningococcal disease is known throughout the world; known causative strains of meningococci belong to groups A, B, C, W135 and Y.
The factors causing the epidemic can be different: from climatic conditions (cold, dry periods) to socially significant factors. The emergence of an epidemic of meningococcal meningitis is facilitated by airborne infection of a large number of people living in a small room in poor conditions. This, for example, includes places where refugees gather.
Prevention:
There is a highly effective preventive vaccine