Common questions

Was there a meningitis epidemic?

Was there a meningitis epidemic?

In the past, meningitis has been classed as a pandemic. As WHO explains, ‘the most recent meningococcal meningitis pandemic began in the mid-1990s. In 1996, almost 190,000 cases were notified to WHO in Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Niger, Nigeria and other countries.

Is there a connection between Covid and meningitis?

In addition to the common presenting symptoms of fever, fatigue, and mild respiratory symptoms like dry cough, patients with COVID-19 can also develop neurological manifestations like headache, anosmia, hyposmia, dysgeusia, meningitis, encephalitis, and acute cerebrovascular accidents during the course of the disease ( …

What caused the meningitis outbreak?

A New England Compounding Center meningitis outbreak that began in September 2012 sickened 798 individuals and resulted in the deaths of more than 100 people….New England Compounding Center meningitis outbreak.

Fungal cells (black lines) in infected brain tissue (cyan)
Date September 21, 2012 (on-going)
Cause Fungal contamination of steroid medication
Deaths 64

What is meningitis commonly mistaken for?

The symptoms of bacterial meningitis often get mistaken for the flu, which can make diagnosis difficult. Bacterial meningitis can be treated with antibiotics, so it’s important to seek treatment as soon as possible.

Which of the following are typical signs and symptoms of most cases of meningitis?

However, most people with meningitis tend to have two of the four following symptoms: Fever. Headache. A stiff neck….Other symptoms include:

  • Pale, blotchy or bluish skin.
  • Rash.
  • Nausea.
  • Vomiting.
  • Photophobia or discomfort around bright light.
  • Muscle pain or joint pain.
  • Abdominal pain or diarrhea.
  • Irritability.

Who is most at risk of meningitis?

Anyone can get meningococcal disease, but rates of disease are highest in children younger than 1 year old, with a second peak in adolescence. Among teens and young adults, those 16 through 23 years old have the highest rates of meningococcal disease.

What are symptoms of meningitis in adults?

Symptoms

  • Sudden high fever.
  • Stiff neck.
  • Severe headache that seems different from normal.
  • Headache with nausea or vomiting.
  • Confusion or difficulty concentrating.
  • Seizures.
  • Sleepiness or difficulty waking.
  • Sensitivity to light.

How do you deal with a meningitis outbreak?

Preventive strategies include vaccination, chemoprophylaxis and early detection and treatment. Mass vaccination campaign, if appropriately carried out, has been documented to halt an epidemic of meningococcal disease due to serogroup A or C.

How do you prevent a meningitis outbreak?

Prevention of meningococcal cases and outbreaks, through vaccination, is the best control strategy. Licensed vaccines against meningococcal disease have been available for more than 50 years. Vaccines are serogroup specific and the protection they confer is of varying duration, dependent on which type is used.