While best known as a cause of meningitis, it can also result in sepsis, which is an even more damaging and dangerous condition.

Abstract No. Meningitis occurs sporadically throughout the year, and since the organism has no known reservoir outside of man, asymptomatic carriers are usually the source of transmission.Meningitis A, C, Y and W-135 vaccines can be used for large-scale vaccination programs when an outbreak of meningococcal disease occurs in Africa and other regions of the world. I61Tasker SA, Treanor J, Rossetti R et al.

Med. Carriage then spreads through the household, reaching infants usually after one or more other household members have been infected. Symptoms of meningococcal disease can first appear as a flu-like illness and rapidly worsen. When a suspected outbreak of meningococcal disease occurs, public health authorities will then determine whether mass vaccinations (with or without mass chemoprophylaxis) is indicated and delineate the target population to be vaccinated based on risk assessment.When meningococcal disease is suspected, treatment must be started Which antibiotic should be used immediately (before hospital admission) for suspected cases of meningococcal disease? Bull. Meningococcal infections are caused by Neisseria meningitidis, a gram-negative diplococcus that colonises the nasopharynx.Bacteria invade the bloodstream or spread within the respiratory tract. I88Control and Prevention of Meningococcal Disease: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP): VIRGINIA EPIDEMIOLOGY BULLETIN, July 1997, Volume 97, Number 7Jeeri R. Reddy, Safety and Immunogenicity of Meningococcal Meningitis Quadrivalent (A, C, Y & W-135) Polysaccharide Vaccine "PHASE III MULTICENTER CLINICAL TRIAL IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA" 2008; West African Journal of Medicine (in press) Doctors can certainly test for it, and they usually don’t withhold treatment if they’re unsure, since initial treatment is to give There are a couple of things people can do to lower their risk for getting meningococcal septicemia. Only Saudi Arabia require that travelers to their country for the annual Hajj and Umrah pilgrimage have a certificate of vaccination against meningococcal disease issued not more than 3 years and not less than 10 days before arrival in Saudi Arabia. In developed countries the disease transmission usually occurs in day care, schools and large gatherings where usually disease transmission could occur. Meningococcal septicemia is a type of blood poisoning.It results when the meningitis bacteria, called Neisseria meningitides invades the bloodstream and begins to destroy all the tissues in the body. The studies of Brandtzaeg et al clearly established that the severity of meningococcal septicaemia was directly related to levels of circulating endotoxin. Also, most cases occur in late winter or early spring.Since even skilled doctors can miss meningococcal septicemia, parents or caregivers may want to inform doctors they suspect it. There are vaccines that protect against some of the strains that cause meningitis and septicemia. Early complications include: raised intracranial pressure, The importance of meningitis disease is as significant in Further complicating efforts to halt the spread of meningitis in Africa is the fact that extremely dry, dusty weather conditions which characterize Niger and Burkina Faso from December to June favor the development of epidemics. Abstract No. Although safety and efficacy of the vaccine have not been established in children younger than 2 years of age and under outbreak control, the unconjugated vaccine can be considered.Primary immunization against meningococcal disease with meningitis A, C, Y and W-135 vaccines is recommended for all young adolescents at 11–12 years of age and all unvaccinated older adolescents at 15 years of age. Sanford Guide to antimicrobial therapy 2014 44th editionCenters for Disease Control and Prevention.

Whenever sporadic or cluster cases or outbreaks of meningococcal disease occur in the US, It is important that clinicians promptly report all cases of suspected or confirmed meningococcal disease to local public health authorities and that the serogroup of the meningococcal strain involved be identified.

Both of these types of infections are very serious and can be deadly in a matter of hours. Meningococcal disease among college students: ACIP modifies recommendations for meningitis vaccination. Although conjugate vaccines are the preferred meningococcal vaccine in adolescents 11 years of age or older, polysaccharide vaccines are an acceptable alternative if the conjugated vaccine is unavailable.Primary immunization with meningitis A, C, Y and W-135 vaccines is recommended for college students who plan to live in dormitories, although the risk for meningococcal disease for college students 18–24 years of age is similar to that of the general population of similar age.Routine primary immunization against meningococcal disease is recommended for most adults living in areas where meningococcal disease is endemic or who are planning to travel to such areas. Not everyone with meningococcal septicemia will have all symptoms, but presence of extreme confusion, lethargy and high fever is always a good reason to contact a doctor.

They don’t protect against all of them, but they may confer important protection to everyone. Proceedings of ICAAC New Orleans 1996.

Proceedings of ICAAC New Orleans 1996. Clear answers for common questions

West Africa.