meningococcal

Meningococcal disease is the name for any illness that is caused by Neisseria meningitidis bacteria (also called meningococcal bacteria). These illnesses are often severe and can sometimes be deadly. They include infections of the lining of the brain and spinal cord (meningitis) and in the bloodstream (sepsis). Vaccines can help prevent the disease.

Some people have Neisseria meningitidis, the bacteria that cause the disease, in the back of their nose and throat. They usually have the bacteria but don't get sick. This is called being a "carrier." But sometimes the bacteria can spread to other parts of the body and cause meningococcal disease.

The bacteria can spread from person to person through saliva (spit). It usually happens through close or lengthy contact with a person who has it. Close contact can include things like kissing and coughing.

You cannot catch the bacteria through casual contact with someone who has the disease. For example, you cannot get it by breathing air where that person has been.

Anyone can get meningococcal disease, but you are more likely to get it if someone you live with has it. You are also more likely to get it if you have direct contact with the saliva of someone who has it (like through kissing).

Also, certain groups of people are more likely to get the disease. They include:

• Children younger than 1 year old.
• Teens and young adults ages 16 through 23 years old.
• Adults 65 years and older.
• People with medical conditions that weaken their immune system, including those with HIV and certain rare immune system diseases.
• People who either don't have a spleen or have a spleen that does not function well.
• People who take complement inhibitor. These are immunotherapy medicines that are given to people with certain rare conditions.
• People who live in crowded settings, such as college dorms or military barracks.
• People who travel to areas where the disease is more common, such as certain parts of sub-Saharan Africa.

There are different types of meningococcal disease. The most common types are meningitis and septicemia. Both types are very serious and can be deadly in a matter of hours.

Meningococcal meningitis is a meningococcal infection of the lining of the brain and spinal cord. The most common symptoms include:

• Fever
• Headache
• Stiff neck

It can also cause symptoms such as:

• Nausea and vomiting
• Photophobia (your eyes being more sensitive to light)
• Confusion

It may be hard to notice these symptoms in newborns and babies. They can also have different symptoms. They may:

• Be slow or inactive
• Be irritable
• Vomit
• Feed poorly
• Have a bulging of the soft spot of their skull

Meningococcal septicemia is a meningococcal infection of the bloodstream. It's also called meningococcemia. When someone has this disease, the bacteria enter the bloodstream and multiply. This damages the walls of the blood vessels and causes bleeding into the skin and organs. The symptoms may include:

• Fever and chills
• Fatigue
• Vomiting
• Cold hands and feet
• Severe aches or pain in the muscles, joints, chest, or abdomen (belly)
• Rapid breathing
• Diarrhea
• A dark purple rash (in the later stages of the disease)

Because it is so serious, you need to seek immediate medical attention if you or your child develops the symptoms of meningococcal disease.

The signs and symptoms of meningococcal disease are often similar to those of other illnesses. This can make it hard to diagnose.

If your (or your child's) health care provider thinks that you or your child could have meningococcal disease, they will order tests that take samples of blood and/or cerebrospinal fluid (fluid near the spinal cord). They will send the samples to a lab for testing. The testing will include bacteria culture testing, which can identify the specific type of bacteria that is causing the infection. Knowing this can help the provider decide on the best treatment.

Certain antibiotics can treat meningococcal disease. It is important that treatment is started as soon as possible. So if the provider thinks you have meningococcal disease, they will give you antibiotics right away (before the test results come back).

People with serious disease may need additional treatments, such as:

• Breathing support
• Medicines to treat low blood pressure
• Surgery to remove dead tissue
• Wound care for parts of the body with damaged skin

Some people with meningococcal disease will have long-term health problems and disabilities. These may include:

• Loss of limb(s)
• Deafness
• Nervous system problems
• Brain damage

Even with treatment, 10 to 15 in 100 people will die from the disease.

The best way to prevent meningococcal disease is to get vaccinated. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends meningococcal vaccination for:

• All preteens and teens
• Children at higher risk for meningococcal disease
• Adults at higher risk for meningococcal disease

If you are a close contact of a person with meningococcal disease, you will likely be given antibiotics to prevent you from getting sick. This is called "prophylaxis." Close contacts include people who are living together. They also include people who had direct contact with the saliva of a person who has the disease (such as from kissing).

Although it's rare, you can get meningococcal disease more than once.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Meningitis is inflammation of the thin tissue that surrounds the brain and spinal cord, called the meninges. There are several types of meningitis. The most common is viral meningitis. You get it when a virus enters the body through the nose or mouth and travels to the brain. Bacterial meningitis is rare, but can be deadly. It usually starts with bacteria that cause a cold-like infection. It can cause stroke, hearing loss, and brain damage. It can also harm other organs. Pneumococcal infections and meningococcal infections are the most common causes of bacterial meningitis.

Anyone can get meningitis, but it is more common in people with weak immune systems. Meningitis can get serious very quickly. You should get medical care right away if you have:

• A sudden high fever
• A severe headache
• A stiff neck
• Nausea or vomiting

Early treatment can help prevent serious problems, including death. Tests to diagnose meningitis include blood tests, imaging tests, and a spinal tap to test cerebrospinal fluid. Antibiotics can treat bacterial meningitis. Antiviral medicines may help some types of viral meningitis. Other medicines can help treat symptoms.

There are vaccines to prevent some of the bacterial infections that cause meningitis.

NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

College life involves excitement, along with new challenges, risks, and responsibilities. You are meeting new people, learning new things, and making your own decisions. It can sometimes be stressful. You have to deal with pressures related to food, drink, appearance, drugs, and sexual activity.

There are steps you can take to stay healthy and safe while you're in college:

• Eat a balanced diet
• Get enough sleep
• Get regular physical activity
• Maintain your health with checkups and vaccinations
• If you decide to have sex, practice safe sex
• Make smart choices about alcohol and drugs
• Get help if you are stressed or depressed

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Guillain-Barre syndrome is a rare disorder that causes your immune system to attack your peripheral nervous system (PNS). The PNS nerves connect your brain and spinal cord with the rest of your body. Damage to these nerves makes it hard for them to transmit signals. As a result, your muscles have trouble responding to your brain. No one knows what causes the syndrome. Sometimes it is triggered by an infection, surgery, or a vaccination.

The first symptom is usually weakness or a tingling feeling in your legs. The feeling can spread to your upper body. In severe cases, you become almost paralyzed. This is life-threatening. You might need a respirator to breathe. Symptoms usually worsen over a period of weeks and then stabilize.

Guillain-Barre can be hard to diagnose. Possible tests include nerve tests and a spinal tap. Most people recover. Recovery can take a few weeks to a few years. Treatment can help symptoms, and may include medicines or a procedure called plasma exchange.

NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

During pregnancy, some common infections like the common cold or a skin infection do not usually cause serious problems. But other infections can be dangerous to you, your baby, or both. Some infections may lead to preterm birth and low birth weight babies. Others can cause serious illness, birth defects, and lifelong disabilities, such as hearing loss or learning problems.

Some of the infections that can be dangerous during pregnancy include:

• Bacterial vaginosis (BV)
• Group B strep (GBS)
• Hepatitis
• Sexually transmitted diseases
• Toxoplasmosis
• Urinary tract infections
• Yeast infections
• Zika virus

To try to prevent infections,:

• Don't eat raw or undercooked meat
• Don't share food or drinks with other people
• Wash your hands frequently
• Don't empty cat litter. Cats can transmit toxoplasmosis.

If you do get an infection during pregnancy, contact your health care provider about how best to protect you and your baby. Only some medicines are safe during pregnancy.

Bacteria are living things that have only one cell. Under a microscope, they look like balls, rods, or spirals. They are so small that a line of 1,000 could fit across a pencil eraser. Most types of don't make you sick. Many types are helpful. Some of them help to digest food, destroy disease-causing cells, and give the body needed vitamins. Bacteria are also used in making healthy foods like yogurt and cheese.

But infectious bacteria can make you ill. They reproduce quickly in your body. Many give off chemicals called toxins, which can damage tissue and make you sick. Examples of bacteria that cause infections include Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, and E. coli.

Antibiotics are the usual treatment. When you take antibiotics, follow the directions carefully. Each time you take antibiotics, you increase the chances that bacteria in your body will learn to resist them causing antibiotic resistance. Later, you could get or spread an infection that those antibiotics cannot cure.

NIH: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases