2024-01-15 23:30:00
Health Decoding｜Serotype B meningococcal cases increase. Doctors urge vaccination before traveling to study abroad to increase protection
Neisseria meningitidis can cause brain damage, and severe cases are more likely to die within 24 hours. However, Hong Kong people are not sufficiently aware of this disease. Some family medicine specialists pointed out that the mainland’s infant vaccine program has already eliminated meningitis. The diplococcal vaccine is included as one of the required vaccines. Schools in foreign places, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, will require students to receive the meningococcal vaccine before entering school, and encourage students to travel or allow their children to study abroad. Parents pay attention.
Meningitis refers to an inflammatory reaction caused by microbial infection or other causes in the meninges surrounding the brain and spinal cord, and Neisseria meningitidis is one of the common bacterial meningitis. Zhu Weixing, a specialist in family medicine, said that 10 to 35% of adults are long-term carriers of Neisseria meningitidis. They can spread it through droplets produced by coughing or sneezing, or through direct contact with respiratory secretions of patients, and their immunity is relatively low. Children, teenagers, elderly people aged 65 or above, and people with weakened immune systems congenitally or due to disease are more susceptible to infection.
May cause brain damage and mental decline
“The initial symptoms of meningococcal infection are similar to those of a cold, such as high fever, severe headache, stiff neck, vomiting, photophobia, ecchymosis on the skin, rash, etc. The condition can worsen within a few hours, and in severe cases Death may occur within 24 hours, and patients may also develop serious symptoms, such as brain damage, mental retardation, mental retardation, deafness, and electrolyte imbalance, which must not be ignored.”
Dr. Zhu Weixing said that Neisseria meningitidis, also known as meningococcal meningitis (meningococcal meningitis for short) in the Mainland, has long been included in the infant vaccine program as one of the required preventive vaccines. However, studies in recent years have shown that it is not included in the list. The serotypes of Neisseria meningitidis included in the original vaccine have begun to increase. Whether in the Mainland or Hong Kong, serotype B has accounted for the majority of cases in recent years.
According to data, the most common meningococcal infection cases in the Mainland belong to serotype B, which has increased sharply from regarding 22% of cases before 2015 to 52% following 2015. In addition, following the COVID-19 epidemic, the global epidemiology of many bacteria and viruses has changed. Meningococci are rampant in different regions, and type B is particularly common, including the United Kingdom and Australia.
Serotype B can cause serious complications
“The biological structure of meningococci of serotype B is quite special, so it has not been able to be combined with other serotypes of meningococci into the same vaccine for prevention. However, the most worrying thing is that meningococci of serotype B are The seriousness of cocci is higher. Once infected, there is a greater chance of serious complications. Even if it is not life-threatening, there is still a chance of disability, because the bacteria will stretch to the periphery along with the meningeal nerves, and inflammation will occur throughout the area, causing The meninges become thick and swollen, and may produce a lot of pus. Even with antibiotic treatment, if the meninges are injured, such as hardening or stenosis, they will compress the nerves and even cause cerebral edema. It can also cause Other complications, such as inflammation of the heart muscle.”
Dr. Zhu Weixing emphasizes that prevention is better than cure: “No matter how many cases of meningococcal infection there are and how high the risk of infection is, once complications occur following infection, the impact on the person concerned will be 100%, especially if this disease has It may cause many sequelae, especially for children, which may greatly reduce their intelligence, mobility, and even self-care ability.” Parents are called on to vaccinate their children with the meningococcal preventive vaccine targeting the correct serotype as early as possible to enhance protection.
Zhu Weixing, a specialist in family medicine, said that once infected with meningococci, patients may have many sequelae, and early prevention is recommended.
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