Meningococcal meningitis; time to take precautions

The fatal Meningococcal meningitis is yet again noticed in Delhi. It is reported that some 40 people has been detected with meningococcemia, a condition where bacteria are present in the blood.

The dangerous disease has its own fatal behaviour as it is detected very late in the infected person. Lack of awareness aggravates the problem to the infected person, if he didn’t notice the early signs and symptoms of the disease.

Meningitis is an inflammation of the lining surrounding the brain and spinal cord. The Meningococcal bacteria affect the nerves causing excessive bleeding after which people die. The toxins liberated by the bacteria causes a sudden drop in the blood pressure, which decreases the amount of oxygen in the tissues.

The bacteria are transmitted from person to person through respiratory secretions e.g. kissing, sneezing and coughing on someone, sharing eating or drinking utensils, etc.

The average incubation period is 4 days, ranging between 2 and 10 days with common symptoms like stiff neck, high fever, sensitivity to light, headaches and vomiting.

Bacterial meningitis causes brain damage, hearing loss, or learning disability in 10 to 20% of survivors. A less common but more severe (often fatal) form of meningococcal disease is meningococcal septicaemia or blood poisoning.

The disease surged during April and May; the disease can cause death in as little as 12 hours after infecting the patient. Sixty deaths and 441 cases were reported in2005 while 34 deaths and 486 cases were reported in 2006 in Delhi.