Kita child suffering from meningitis - contact persons are treated with antibiotics

Meningitis: Preschooler suffering from meningococcal meningitis

In Dresden, a small child is suffering from contagious meningococcal meningitis (meningitis). The disease can be life threatening. Persons who had contact with the kindergarten child are treated with antibiotics.

Contact persons are treated preventively with antibiotics

In Dresden, a child of a day care center is suffering from contagious meningococcal meningitis (meningitis). According to a statement, the health department received proof on Friday, promptly identifying the approximately 110 contact persons at the child's daycare facility as well as personal contacts. "The eligible children and adults have been prescribed preventive antibiotics," said the medical officer and head of the Health Department Dresden Jens Heimann. "The sooner we intervene in this disease, the more likely it is that it will not break out or be transmitted to the contact persons."

In Dresden, a child of a day care center is suffering from contagious meningococcal meningitis (meningitis). Contact persons were also treated with antibiotics. (Image: pingpao / fotolia.com)

Transmission by droplet infection

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 transmitted via direct and close contact by droplet infection or saliva contacts. 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.

Different courses

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, "writes the RKI on its website.

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

Deadly course possible

Symptoms such as headache, neck stiffness or nausea can occur during an infection between two and ten days after infection.

Other complaints of meningitis include fever, photosensitivity, chills and a clouded state of consciousness, such as a strong drowsiness or dizziness.

Bacterial meningitis can result in severe disability or even death within a short period of time.

Illness is contagious before it breaks out

"With this illness it is unfortunately so that it already contagious, before it breaks out", so the head of the health department Dresden Jens Heimann.

But: "24 hours after the beginning of an effective antibiotic therapy sufferers are no longer contagious," writes the Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA) on its portal "Infektionsschutz.de".

According to health experts, sufferers must immediately go to hospital if they suspect a meningococcal infection.

Very rare disease

According to the BZgA, meningococcal disease is rare in Germany: about four cases per million people a year. Most of these are isolated cases, especially in the autumn and winter months.

There are different types of meningococci. In Germany, serogroups B and C are the most common.

For several years, a vaccine against the fatal disease is available. (Ad)