Infectious meningitis case Please contact the person in contact with the patient

Dangerous meningitis: Acute case of meningococcal meningitis occurred

An acute case of meningitis (meningococcal meningitis) has occurred in a man from Sinzig (Rhineland-Palatinate). All direct contacts have received drug prophylaxis in the form of antibiotics. Now we are looking for other people who have had contact with the victim in the last few days. Meningococcal disease can be fatal.

Drug prophylaxis for contact persons

As the district administration Ahrweiler (Rhineland-Palatinate) communicates on its website, an acute case of meningitis (meningococcal meningitis) has occurred in a man from Sinzig. According to the information, the district health department has taken the necessary measures. "All direct contact persons received drug prophylaxis in the form of antibiotics from general practitioners and hospitals," says the statement.

An acute case of meningitis (meningococcal meningitis) has occurred in a man from Rhineland-Palatinate. Now people are looking for people who had close contact with the person concerned in the past few days. The disease can be fatal in the worst case. (Image: k_rahn / fotolia.com)

Search for people who had contact with the patient

As explained there, one of the precautionary measures of the health department "in particular the identification of the group of people with whom the man had close contact in recent days. A risk of infection exists only in close, direct contact persons. "

Meningococci are bacteria that settle in the nasopharyngeal space of humans, where they are detectable in about ten percent of the population without any signs of clinical symptoms, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI).

They are most commonly transmitted by droplet infection. The bacteria are released into the air when speaking, coughing or sneezing in small droplets from the nasopharynx and can be inhaled from a short distance.

In addition, the pathogens can be transmitted even in close contact with patients as a smear infection, for example, by touching the nasal secretion. Outside the body, the bacteria die quickly.

Infection often leads to blood poisoning or meningitis

According to health experts, two forms of meningococcal disease can occur individually or together:

Meningococcal diseases are meningitis in about two-thirds of cases. In about one third of cases, the course is characterized by sepsis, "explains the RKI on its website.

The onset of the disease is usually very sudden and progressing rapidly.

For symptoms, seek medical help quickly

"In the initial stage of the disease can be mistaken for a flu infection," writes the district administration Ahrweiler.

"Initial symptoms can be seen as an upper respiratory tract infection, fever, shivering, malaise, vomiting, headache, photosensitivity, joint pain, skin bleeding, and neck stiffness."

The Office warns: "When these symptoms occur or in cases of doubt, it is recommended that you consult your family doctor or the emergency medical service immediately."

Disease can be fatal

According to experts, meningococcal disease is extremely rare in Germany - there are only about five cases a year to one million people.

However, only a few months ago in Hesse, a small child died from the consequences of a meningococcal infection.

Why only a few individuals fall ill and others do not, is not known. (Ad)