Nearly 50 people quarantined after female student dies of meningococcal meningitis

The patient - a 12th grade female student - in Hai Duong, died on February 22.

According to Mr. Bui Huy Nhanh, Director of the Hai Duong Province Preventive Medicine Center, this is the first death from meningococcal encephalitis in the locality after more than 10 years without any recorded cases. Because the disease is highly contagious and has a high mortality rate, the Preventive Medicine Center has investigated and compiled a list of people who have direct contact with, cared for the patient, and classmates...

Nearly 50 people who have been in contact with the patient are being closely monitored and supervised at home to detect the disease early when symptoms appear. The center also guides people on personal hygiene, cleaning their homes, disinfecting classrooms, families, and neighboring households.The Department of Preventive Medicine under the Ministry of Health has also directed the Hai Duong Department of Health to quickly handle and prevent the risk of meningococcal disease spreading.

Meningococcal disease is dangerous, just a few hours after infection it can cause septic shock.The disease occurs year-round and increases in the spring due to rainy, humid, cold weather factors that easily reduce resistance. This is an ideal condition for bacteria already in the throat to cause disease. The disease can appear in anyone, the risk is high in children and the elderly due to poor resistance.

Meningococcal bacteria entering the body will cause pharyngitis. In people with weak constitutions, the bacteria continue to spread into the blood throughout the body causing sepsis and meningitis. In acute cases, the patient can die quickly.

Meningococcal meningitis causes two main diseases: purulent meningitis and septicemia, both of which are dangerous because they can cause shock and rapid death. In the acute form, the disease progresses rapidly, with a mortality rate of up to 60-70%; in the case of purulent meningitis, the mortality rate is 30-40% if not treated promptly.Because of the appearance of necrotic rash on the skin, the disease is easily confused with streptococcal disease. In addition, the disease is also difficult to detect early because the initial symptoms are like common sore throat but the progression is acute.

On average, each year Vietnam has about 650 cases of bacterial meningitis, of which meningococcal bacteria account for about 14%. The disease often leaves severe sequelae such as mental retardation, deafness, and paralysis at a rate of 10-20%. In the community, the rate of people carrying bacteria without clinical symptoms (healthy carriers) in the nose, throat, and pharynx is 5-25%. This rate is even higher in epidemic areas.

The disease is transmitted through the respiratory tract. Meningococcal bacteria reside in the throat area, and are transmitted through normal person-to-person contact through saliva, respiratory secretions, coughing, and sneezing.

Therefore, to prevent the disease, experts recommend that people should proactively get vaccinated against meningococcal disease. Practice good personal hygiene, wash hands regularly with soap, gargle regularly with common nasal and throat antiseptic solutions... Limit contact with people suspected of having respiratory infections, especially children. When there are symptoms of fever, sore throat, stiff neck, purple rash on the skin (purple, dark black rash), vomiting, severe headache... go to a medical facility immediately for examination and treatment.

According to VNE