How is meningococcal meningitis spread

Behavioural and emotional effects are quite common: children can be clingy and have temper tantrums, adults can feel despondent and irritable. Although these feelings usually resolve themselves, psychological problems can be serious enough to need referral to mental health services or to a counsellor Parents of children affected by meningococcal disease may also need this kind of support Such a severe illness, especially if there has been a long stay in intensive care, can leave the patient feeling weak and tired and much less active and mobile than before.

They may also have problems with concentration, memory and attention and find it difficult to do tasks that seemed effortless before they became ill. In most cases, these difficulties gradually disappear. Meningitis can cause permanent neurological damage, ranging from minor problems with coordination and movement or mild learning difficulties, to epilepsy, paralysis, palsy and severe mental impairment. Deafness is the most frequent severe after effect of meningitis.

Scarring, amputations and organ damage can result from septicaemia. In the first few days of treatment for severe meningococcal disease, it is often impossible to tell whether there will be any permanent damage, but in most cases any serious problems become obvious while the patient is still in hospital.

Once discharged, patients should be followed up and carefully assessed for signs of damage. An individual care plan should be developed for the patient before they leave hospital 20 to co-ordinate rehabilitation when it is needed.

Hearing tests are usually arranged by the hospital, but if a test is not offered it is important to ask for one. Children should have a hearing test within four weeks of being well enough to be tested Occasionally, problems do not become noticeable until later.

Learning difficulties and some coordination problems are hard to detect in babies and might not be discovered until a child reaches school age. Teachers should be informed when a child has had meningitis so that educational support can be arranged if necessary Children who have had severe septicaemia with scarring or amputations may develop growth problems later on, and their growth should be monitored regularly Many people find it helps to talk to someone who has been through a similar experience and the Foundation's helpline team and befriending network are there to talk things over and provide a listening ear.

For more detailed information on after effects, see the Foundation's booklet Meningitis and Septicaemia, What Happens Next? The risk to contacts is low. For this reason, these very close contacts of the patient are given antibiotic tablets or syrup, usually rifampicin or ciprofloxacin, to kill the bacteria and help stop the disease from spreading. Usually family members who go with the patient to hospital will get antibiotics there.

The local public health doctor then has the job of making sure that any other household or intimate contacts get antibiotics, and usually also tells the nursery or school the patient attends that there has been a case. There is no need to give antibiotics to a wider range of contacts, such as classmates, unless there has been more than one case within a short period of time.

The public health doctor follows national guidelines 16 when deciding what needs to be done to protect the community. It is important to remember that rifampicin and ciprofloxacin kill the bacteria that live in your nose and throat, but they cannot prevent illness in someone who is already incubating the germs.

So even if you are given antibiotics, it is still important to look out for the signs and symptoms of septicaemia and meningitis. The MRF Membership and Support team are here for you for any questions you might have about meningitis and septicaemia and their effects on you, or your family and friends.

Meningococcal meningitis Meningococcal infection is the most common cause of bacterial meningitis in the UK and Ireland. Meningococcal disease affects around 1, people in the UK every year 1. The disease can affect anyone of any age, but mainly affects babies, preschool children and young people. Septicaemia on its own is more likely to be fatal than meningitis 7. Most survivors make a full recovery without long-term after effects, but around one in ten will be left with a major disability such as limb loss, deafness, epilepsy and brain damage.

Approximately one third of survivors will be left with problems such as psychological disorders, reduced IQ and partial hearing loss. Survivors of meningococcal disease are more likely to have memory, planning and concentration problems than the general population 8. Meningococcal W meningitis and septicaemia: a new, virulent strain in the UK, particularly affecting young adults.

Find out more. Where does meningococcal meningitis come from? How do you get meningitis and septicaemia? What is septicaemia? Septicaemia is the blood poisoning form of meningococcal disease. What happens in very severe cases of septicaemia? What is meningitis?

What happens in very severe cases of meningitis? Who gets meningitis and septicaemia? Meningococcal disease in the UK and Ireland is seasonal, with a peak during the winter months. How is meningococcal meningitis treated? Prompt recognition and treatment offer the best chance of a good recovery. What happens after meningococcal disease? What are the severe after effects?

What about follow up care? Do people who have been in contact with meningococcal meningitis need treatment? Who decides? Meningitis Research Foundation website. People with bacterial meningitis can have seizures, go into a coma, and even die.

For this reason, anyone who thinks they may have meningitis should see a doctor as soon as possible. If a doctor suspects meningitis, they will collect samples of blood or cerebrospinal fluid fluid near the spinal cord.

A laboratory will test the samples to see what is causing the infection. Knowing the specific cause of meningitis helps doctors treat it. Doctors treat bacterial meningitis with a number of antibiotics. It is important to start treatment as soon as possible. Vaccines are the most effective way to protect against certain types of bacterial meningitis. There are vaccines for 4 types of bacteria that can cause meningitis:.

Make sure you and your child are vaccinated on schedule. The vaccines also do not protect against infections from all the types strains of each of these bacteria. For these reasons, there is still a chance vaccinated people can develop bacterial meningitis. When someone has bacterial meningitis, a doctor may recommend antibiotics to help prevent people around the patient from getting sick.

Doctors call this prophylaxis. CDC recommends prophylaxis for:. Pregnant women should talk to their doctor or midwife about getting tested for group B Streptococcus. Women receive the test when they are 36 through 37 weeks pregnant. Doctors give antibiotics during labor to women who test positive in order to prevent passing group B strep to their newborns. Pregnant women can also reduce their risk of meningitis caused by L. Women should avoid certain foods during pregnancy and safely prepare others.

You can also help protect yourself and others from bacterial meningitis and other health problems by maintaining healthy habits:. Other serious possible complications include:. If you are experiencing symptoms of bacterial meningitis, seek medical care immediately. The disease can usually be treated with antibiotics. If meningitis is caught early enough a patient can make a full recovery with few or no lingering effects. But the best way to combat meningitis is to prevent it through vaccination and sound health practices.

Understanding the causes of meningitis and how it spreads will help you stay healthy and keep you from experiencing this dangerous disease. Certain factors place young adults at increased risk of getting meningitis.

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