Meningitis College Essay

About 10 to 25% of the human population carry N.meningitidis in their respiratory system at any time yet only few develop meningococcal disease. As one of the contagious bacteria, N. Meningitidis are transmitted through direct contact with infectious droplets of respiratory secretions from carriers. The pathogen can get spread by having close and prolonged contact (e.g. kissing, sharing eating or drinking) with the carriers. Incubation period is between two to ten days and invasive infections can happen within 14 days after acquisition. Meningococcal diseases have the highest incidence during late winter and early

It is an acute inflamation of the protictive membrane in the brain and spinal cored, known collectively as the Meninges. B. The inflammation can be cause by infection within the viruses, bacterias or orther micro organism or even drugs. C. It can be life-threatining because the inflammation is in the brain and spinal cord.

Africa has the highest incidence of meningococcal disease, tuberculosis, and malaria because of overcrowding in many villages. There is an area in sub-Saharan Africa called the Meningitis Belt that stretches from Senegal to Ethiopia with over 20,000 reported cases and 2,000 deaths every year (Healthgrades editorial staff, 2015). During the dry season in Africa, from December through June, meningitis epidemics occur with the three major areas infected being Burkina Faso, Nigeria, and Chad. The most recent outbreak of the meningococcal disease reported in the United States occurred as meningitis in the dorms at the University of California, Santa Barbara and Princeton University in New Jersey in December of 2013 (Doheny, 2013). When the outbreak occurred at these two universities it was caused from serotype B of the disease and resulted in one death. Since the current meningococcal vaccine does not cover the serotype B bacteria the FDA allowed the use of a special vaccine from New Zealand to treat the outbreaks (Burrell, 2015). One in five US teens have not had their first recommended dose of meningococcal vaccine and for those who have had the first dose of the vaccine,

The disease give off a toxin in the life cycle of bacteria after it life span has ended and it has quickly multiplied. The toxin which is emitted is so deadly, it rapidly kills tissues surrounding the areas where the highest concentrations of the bacteria is located. Oddly, when the bacteria is treated with an antibiotic, it produces more toxin because a greater number of bacteria are being killed. Though historically the meningococcal disease has been known to only attack and the very young. There are now more and more cases of the disease appearing in the “young adult” crowd. These would be at the roughly college age.

Meningitis, also known as spinal meningitis, is a viral or bacterial infection causing inflammation of the membranes, called meninges. Meninges act as a natural protective barrier that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. When the barrier is permeable, infections are able to transmit a disease in or through and cause serious or even fatal effects. There are different causes for the different categories of meningitis resulting in different symptoms and severities in each.

Meningitis is an infectious disease that can be found within the indigenous Australian community. Incidence and prevalence, when regarding an infectious agent or disease, utilizes measurements to determine new cases and existing cases of a disease process or infectious condition. Mathematical equations are utilized in order to determine and compare the survival or recovery, and duration of diseases ( Stanhope & Lancaster, 2011).The incidence and prevalence of meningitis in the indigenous Australian people, is higher in the rural areas then in the larger regions of Australia due to lack of access to vaccinations, and compliance with treatment. As noted via the meningococcal Australia INC

The infection can also be spread through oral secretion. Kissing, coughing, sharing makeup, sharing utensils, and drinking out of the same straw as an infected person are all ways that The majority of outbreaks occur in the winter and spring when school is in session. One-third of all Bacterial Meningitis outbreaks between 1991 and 1996 occurred in schools or universities.

Meningitis and encephalitis are infections that affect the brain. The two differences between them is observed in the region of the brain they infect. Both infections cause inflammation and swelling of the brain and can trigger serious effects or even death.

Infectious meningitis may be caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites, or toxins (McCance, 2014). There is a type of meningitis that does not have an identifiable pathogen; this type is called aseptic meningitis. Typical symptoms for meningitis are sudden high fever, severe headache, stiff neck, vomiting or nausea with headache, confusion or difficulty concentrating, seizures, sleepiness or difficulty waking up, sensitivity to light, lack of interest in drinking and eating, and skin rash (Mayo Clinic, 2013). There are three main types of meningitis, each having their own individual

Bacteria can be a scary thing, but some people do not even know what bacteria is but doctors have created antibiotics to destroy it. “Many people are unaware what bacteria are and how antibiotics control them.”(Voss, Bristol) Basically bacteria a large group of unicellular microorganisms that have cell walls but lack organelles and an organized nucleus, including some that can cause disease. Antibiotics are used to destroy bacteria, but if a person is prescribed too many antibiotics they may become immune to antibiotics forever and have to live without a strong immune system. Antibiotics attacks bacteria by preventing it from building a wall to defend itself from the body's immune system. So the body’s immune system can easily kill the bacteria.

N. meningitides bacterium responsible for outbreaks in densely populated areas such as childcare centers, boarding schools, or college living areas (Smeltzer, Bare, Hinkle, & Cheever, 2010). These outbreaks are most common in winter and spring months when risk factors like upper respiratory infections are more likely (Smeltzer, Bare, Hinkle, & Cheever, 2010). Immunosuppression must be present for this pathogen to invade. Other risk factors for meningitis are otitis media (middle ear infection), mastoiditis (mastoid bone infection) (Smeltzer, Bare, Hinkle, & Cheever, 2010), systemic sepsis, sinusitis (sinus infection), basilar skull fractures, and the very young and the very old (Porth & Matfin, 2009).

Like meningococcus infection are initiated by nasopharungeal colonization, which is due to spread of infection from one person to another by sharing

Meningitis is an inflammation of the meninges, membranes that surround the brain. This can extend as far as infecting the cerebral spinal fluid on top of causing the tissue to swell. Meningitis comes in two major forms; bacterially and virally. However, having bacterial meningitis is much more severe than viral meningitis. There is a lot more danger in having a bacterial infection within the brain than a viral infection within the brain. What makes bacterial meningitis so lethal is that “even when the disease is diagnosed early and adequate treatment is started, 5% to 10% of patients die, typically within 24 to 48 hours after the onset of symptoms. Left untreated, up to 50% of cases may die, (6) or there

The Meningococcal infection is a potentially life-threatening bacterial disease that continues to be fatal in numerous parts of the world. Since the inception of the first Meningococcal cases in the early 19th century, rates continue to fluctuate today. Of particular note, the World Health Organisation has outlined that there are over 26 countries in the sub-Saharan region alone that are overwhelmingly prone to the infection (WHO, 2015). Despite this, Meningococcal has not been restricted to the sub-Saharan; current estimates determine that 1.2 million cases arise globally every year. This is primarily due to the fact that the bacterium which causes the Meningococcal disease, the Neisseria Meningitidis, is a carrier bacterium which can be found

Meningococcal disease is a large concern in the medical field because it is unbiased towards the patients it infects. There has been limited success in trying to eliminate this disease. Antibiotics play a role in helping to treat patients with bacterial meningitis, and steroids have been tested to help reduce risk factors. Prevention has also become a key issue because meningitis can only be spread through direct contact with infected body fluid. The best prevention is to maintain clean hygiene. Vaccines are another way of preventing disease. However, there are multiple serogroups of meningitis that makes creating a universal vaccine extremely difficult. So far, there have only been two