Meningococcal infection – causes, complaints & therapy

Infections caused by meningococcal occur mainly in infants and young children in the first years of life. Teenagers are also often affected by meningococcal disease.

After infection with meningococci, treatment with antibiotics should be carried out as soon as possible, as only in this case there are good chances of recovery. The disease can be fatal if treatment begins too late. Meningococci do not always cause disease, but it is unclear why they do not cause disease in some people.

There are 13 different forms of meningococci worldwide. In Germany, mainly types A, B and C occur. There are now well-tolerated vaccines against types A and C. However, there is still no suitable vaccine against type B, which is very common.

Causes

Meningococci settle in the nasopharynx. The bacteria multiply and spread undisturbed in the body, especially when the immune system is weakened or not yet fully mature. For this reason, infants and young children are often affected by infection with meningococci.

Transmission of meningococci occurs through droplet infection when talking, sneezing or coughing. Those who carry the bacteria but do not fall ill can still infect other people. Outside the body, meningococci usually die very quickly, which is why they can usually only be transmitted through very close body contact.

The incubation period, i.e. the time between infection and illness, is about two to seven days. If no illness has broken out ten days after contact with a sick person, then it will usually no longer occur.

Symptoms and course

Typical symptoms of a meningococcal infection:

• Fever

• Headache

• stiff neck

An infection with meningococci can, for example, manifest itself by a deterioration of the general state of health, usually those affected have a severe feeling of illness, which is accompanied by fever, headache and also a stiff neck. Punctate skin bleeding – so-called petechiae – can also occur when infected with meningococci. Especially in infants and young children, the classic symptoms may be absent.

Signs of meningococcal infection in infancy may include a hard, bulging fontanel, as well as convulsions. In general, the course of a meningococcal infection depends on how quickly targeted treatment occurs. The faster the treatment begins, the better the chances of recovery.

Infection with meningococci often occurs together with two dangerous side effects: meningitis and sepsis. In 10 percent of all cases, both phenomena occur simultaneously, but often (60 percent meningitis, 30 percent sepsis) they occur separately.

Even with an early start of treatment, meningitis (meningitis) can lead to physical and/or mental damage, in the worst case even death. Sepsis can also lead to death in up to 30 percent of all cases.

Diagnosis

Before a meningococcal infection is diagnosed, there is often an acute cold, which usually results in headache, Fever , joint pain , sensitivity to light , nausea and Vomiting, stiff neck or clouding of consciousness can also occur. As the disease progresses, red-purple skin spots or even skin bleeding can occur, which are signs of blood poisoning and do not go away under pressure. Since babies and toddlers usually do not show the typical signs of illness, parents should always pay attention to whether the child wants to eat, how it cries or whether it is restless. If a child who has had contact with a sick person refuses to eat, screams shrilly, is restless, moans a lot and shows blotchy or pale skin, the pediatrician should definitely be consulted.

treatment and therapy

If there is a meningococcal infection, the doctor will prescribe an antibiotic , with which the disease usually heals well. If there is only a suspicion at first, the doctor can usually still recognize the disease based on certain characteristics and will not wait with the treatment here either. If a child has meningococcal disease, treatment with an antibiotic is carried out. How well the treatment works for affected patients usually depends on the time that has already elapsed. Therefore, a doctor should be consulted at the first serious sign of an acute illness.

Prevention

There is a good vaccine against infections with meningococci type C, which is also well tolerated by infants. The Standing Vaccination Commission (STIKO for short) recommends vaccination for children from the age of two.There is a vaccine for types A, C, Y and W135 that can be given to children aged 11 and over. In general, all contact persons who have been or are in close contact with an affected person should speak to the doctor immediately about taking an antibiotic as a precaution.

Close contact persons include all persons in the same household, children under the age of 6 in community facilities or children and young people in schools.

Although antibiotic prophylaxis can make sense, it may also be associated with side effects. Antibiotics should therefore only be prescribed if there is genuine suspicion.