Meningitis

 symptoms

Meningitis is an inflammation of the thin meninges that surround the brain (meninges) and thus protect it. Meningitis is therefore also called meningitis. Sometimes the inflammation also spreads to the brain (encephalitis). Doctors call this combination meningoencephalitis.

Babies, children and adults can develop marketingmediaweb  meningitis. The meningitis symptoms differ depending on age and cause (bacteria, viruses or without germs, e.g. due to diseases). Meningitis is a very dangerous condition that doctors need to treat as soon as possible.

Meningitis symptoms in adults

Meningitis in adults often begins with symptoms similar to those of the flu . Bacterial miningitis, which can develop into a serious, life-threatening divinebeautytips   clinical picture within a few hours, is particularly dangerous. Meningitis is manifested by the following signs:

• Stiff neck and pain when moving your head (meningism) are the main signs of meningitis. The painful, stiff neck is especially noticeable when a patient bends their head down towards the chest. If he pulls his knees reflexively at the same time, the so-called Brudzinski sign is positive. If the patient cannot straighten the knee while sitting or if it is only painful to straighten the knee, the so-called Kernig sign is positive. Both signs suggest meningitis.
• high fever , chills
• headache
• Body aches
• Back pain
• severe feeling of illness
• Fatigue, exhaustion, loss of performance, decreased ability to concentrate
• Nausea and vomiting
• increased sensitivity to light, photophobia
• increased sensitivity to noise
• Drowsiness, confusion
• dizziness
• in case of blood poisoning (sepsis): Meningitis nanobiztech  can develop with a rash on the skin and bleeding in the skin.

Not all signs of meningitis are always present or equally pronounced in the sick. Particularly in older people, some symptoms may be absent or only present in mild form.

Meningitis symptoms in the baby and child

Meningitis in children is very similar to that in adults. The techcrunchblog   stiff neck is particularly typical for them. Often they fail to touch their bent knee with their head. There are also fever, headaches and photophobia.

Meningitis is often harder to detect in babies. The symptoms globalmarketingbusiness   usually differ slightly from those of older patients and are usually less characteristic. For example, neck stiffness often does not occur. Meningitis without a fever is possible. Instead, the baby will show symptoms such as:

• stomach pain
• It refuses to eat and does not want to drink.
• It appears apathetic, sleepy, listless and difficult to wake up.
• It is sensitive to touch.
• It screams more often.
• The fontanel - a skin-covered gap in the bones on the head - can be arched forward or hardened.
• sometimes seizures (epilepsy)

Meningitis: The causes are often viruses and bacteria

There are several causes of meningitis. Viruses (viral meningitis) and bacteria (bacterial meningitis) are often the cause of meningitis. Fungi and other germs can also cause meningitis. In all of these cases, meningitis is contagious. In addition, meningitis is sometimes associated with an existing disease, for example cancer. In this case, the meningitis is not contagious (abacterial meningitis).

Viral meningitis

Meningitis can develop virally, i.e. it can be triggered by viruses. But there is not just a single meningitis virus, but several viruses are possible causes of meningitis. In addition - depending on age - different viruses are primarily involved.

The following viruses are often associated with meningitis:

• Herpes viruses (often in newborns), e.g. herpes simplex, varicella-zoster and Epstein-Barr viruses
• Measles virus, mumps virus (often in young children)
• Coxsackieviruses - they trigger various clinical pictures
• TBE virus (early summer meningo encephalitis = TBE): the meningitis is transmitted by a tick)

Viral meningitis is less dangerous than meningitis caused by bacteria.

Bacterial meningitis

In addition to viral meningitis, doctors are also familiar with bacterial meningitis. Children under the age of three are at particularly high risk of bacterial meningitis. In them, as in adults, mostly meningococci or pneumococci are at work. Streptococci are more common in newborns.

The following bacteria are often associated with meningitis:

• Pneumococci
• Meningococcal, the clinical picture is then called meningococcal meningitis
• Haemophilus influenzae type B (HiB)
• Group B streptococci, Escherichia coli (intestinal bacteria), Listeria (often infants)
• Borrelia (bacterial meningitis), transmitted by a tick

Is Meningitis Contagious?

Meningitis is contagious when it is caused by viruses and bacteria - and it usually is. The pathogens spread from person to person. Meningitis is usually transmitted through droplet infection, i.e. when coughing, sneezing, speaking or kissing. If other people inhale these droplets, they can become infected. The germs first settle in the upper respiratory tract in the nasopharynx. From there they can migrate to the brain and cause meningitis if the immune system is weakened and cannot eliminate the pathogens. Babies and young children are also susceptible to viruses and bacteria of all kinds because their immune systems are not yet fully developed.

Other ways of spreading the pathogen

Bacteria and viruses can also get to the brain in other ways. An example is a focus of inflammation such as otitis media or pneumonia . They can also penetrate the brain through a wound, for example in the case of an open skull fracture, and cause meningitis.

Especially in spring and summer there is a risk of meningitis resulting from a tick bite. Doctors speak of early summer meningo encephalitis, or TBE for short. The causative agent is the TBE virus . Ticks can also transmit Borrelia when bitten . The pathogens get directly into the blood - and later into the brain.

Meningitis is not contagious, for example with cancer or sarcoid (connective tissue disease that affects the entire body).

Meningitis: incubation period

The incubation period in meningitis is the time between infection with the pathogen and the onset of the disease. The incubation period is usually three to four days, but it can vary between two and ten days. With meningococcal meningitis, patients are contagious up to seven days before symptoms start. 24 hours after the start of effective antibiotic therapy, there is no longer any contagion.

Meningitis prophylaxis - protective measures

You can prevent meningitis with the right prophylaxis: there are effective vaccinations against common triggers of meningitis. In addition, the following applies: If a family member has bacterial meningitis, for example due to meningococci, the contact persons must take care of prophylaxis in order not to fall ill too. You need to take antibiotics as a preventive measure.

 

Meningitis: vaccination for protection

You can prevent meningitis with a vaccination. There are vaccines against bacteria such as meningococci, pneumococci and Haemophilus influenzae type B. Vaccines are also available against viruses that can cause meningitis.

Meningococcal vaccination

Meningococci of serogroups B and C are responsible for the majority of meningococcal infections in Germany. The Standing Vaccination Commission (STIKO) of the Robert Koch Institute therefore recommends the following meningococcal vaccinations:

• Vaccination against meningococcal C in the second year of life. Anyone who missed the vaccination should have it done by their 18th birthday.
• There has been a new meningococcal vaccine against meningococcal B since 2013, with which doctors can also vaccinate infants. A total of four doses are required for this meningitis B vaccination; two doses are sufficient for older children.
• For certain high-risk children and children who travel abroad for a longer period of time, the STIKO also recommends a special conjugate vaccine that is also effective against meningococcal serogroups A, C, W135 and Y.
• Vaccination against meningococcal B is recommended for children at risk without a spleen or with immunodeficiency.

In addition, anyone who could come into contact with the bacteria in a laboratory or who travels to countries where there is an increased risk - for example on a pilgrimage to Mecca or the sub-Saharan region, which is also known as meningitis- should be vaccinated against meningococci. Belt is called.

Pneumococcal vaccination

There are also vaccines against pneumococci. The STIKO gives vaccination recommendations for the following people and risk groups:

• Infants from the age of two months: We recommend three vaccinations in the second, fourth and between the eleventh and 14th months of life.
• Adolescents with underlying diseases, such as a distant or diseased spleen, diabetes 
• Diabetes mellitus, chronic heart or lung disease, kidney disease or immune deficiency.
• Children at increased health risk: premature babies, babies weighing less than 2.5 kilograms, infants and children with failure to thrive or neurological diseases.

Other vaccinations: TBE, HiB, mumps

STIKO recommends vaccination against Haemophilus influenzae type B (HiB) for all infants and children. The HiB vaccination takes place from the completed second month of life, then at the completed third and fourth month of life. The last vaccination takes place between the eleventh and 14th month of life. So in total there are four vaccinations that doctors can give together with other vaccinations.

All people (children and adults) who live in TBE risk areas should be vaccinated against the FMSE virus . In these regions, the risk of coming into contact with infected ticks is increased. The Robert Koch Institute regularly issues a map with the current TBE risk areas . In addition, forest and agricultural workers as well as laboratory staff should be vaccinated if they could come into contact with ticks or the TBE virus.