Meningococcal Meningitis by Juan Delvasto

What is Meningococcal Meningitis

jdelvast — 2023-11-30 02:27:48 UTC

Meningococcal Meningitis is an infection of the meninges, membranes and fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord, that is caused by the bacteria Neisseria meningitidis. The bacteria is generally spread through close or prolonged contact with an infected or carrier individual via exchange of throat and respiratory secretions, then infecting the body of the new host and possibly causing disease. (More)

CDC Meningococcal Disease Page

jdelvast — 2023-11-30 02:28:44 UTC

Causative Agent

jdelvast — 2023-11-30 02:50:19 UTC

Symptoms/Complications

jdelvast — 2023-11-30 03:08:39 UTC

Symptoms:

Fever
Headaches
Neck Stiffness

Complications:

10-15 out of 100 people die even with appropiate treatment.
1 in 5 survivors may develop deafness, brain damage, or other nervous system problems.

Infographic

jdelvast — 2023-11-30 19:38:57 UTC

Abdulrazaq Garba Habib

jdelvast — 2023-11-30 19:48:09 UTC

Abdulrazaq Garba Habib, Infectious Disease Unit, Department of Medicine, College of Health Science, Professor at Bayero University Kano, Kano, Nigeria

Citations

jdelvast — 2023-11-30 20:25:57 UTC

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022, February 7). Meningococcal disease. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/meningococcal/index.html

Garba Abdulrazaq Abubakar. Africa Energy Forum 2023. (n.d.). https://www.africa-energy-forum.com/speakers/garba-abdulrazaq-abubakar

Meningococcal vaccine toolkit. Meningococcal Vaccine Toolkit | IKC. (n.d.). https://www.immunizekansascoalition.org/meningitis-toolkit.asp

Mohammed, I., Iliyasu, G., & Habib, A. G. (2017, February). Emergence and control of epidemic meningococcal meningitis in sub-saharan africa. Pathogens and global health. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5375607/

Wikimedia Foundation. (2023, November 25). Neisseria meningitidis. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neisseria_meningitidis

"Emergence and control of epidemic meningococcal meningitis in sub-Saharan Africa"

jdelvast — 2023-11-30 20:52:46 UTC

While there are vaccines available to populations in sub-Saharan Africa, one must note they are not as effective in children. That, combined with the potential for the appearance of new serogroups of the disease in a growing population still places sub-Saharan Africa in a state of risk for recurring epidemics.

Prevention

jdelvast — 2023-11-30 20:59:22 UTC

The best way to prevent this disease is to get vaccinated against meningococcal disease per CDC recommendations.

If a person has been in close or prolonged contact with another individual with the disease, it is recommended they receive antibiotics (prophylaxis) per doctor recommendation.

Diagnosis/Treatment

jdelvast — 2023-11-30 21:05:10 UTC

If a person is suspected to have the disease, a doctor will take blood and/or cerebrospinal fluid samples to check for the presence of Neisseria meningitidis. If present, the bacteria will be grown in culture and analyzed to find out the specific strain.

When the bacteria is confirmed present, the person will receive multiple IV antibiotics as soon as possible for treatment. Other treatments may be necessary in a case by case basis.

Learn More

jdelvast — 2023-11-30 21:18:51 UTC