Wgu C228Coummunity Health Essay

In fact, a specific region of Africa has been dubbed the meningitis belt. Those living in this sub-Saharan region stretching from Senegal to Gambia are at risk for the lethal epidemics that ravage the land during most dry seasons ("PATH."). Bacterial meningitis works in a very specific way, with quite a few symptoms; however, adequate treatments and vaccines have been developed.

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.

Today the Strathalbyn boy has joined two other survivors of a deadly strain of meningococcal who are calling for a potentially life-saving vaccine to be subsidised to spare families the trauma of the killer disease.

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

     3,000 Americans contract Bacterial Meningitis each year. Out of those 3,000, about 10 %, or 300 people, die from the infection. Approximately 125 of these cases occur on college campuses across the country. Out of these campus outbreaks, there is an annual average of 10 student deaths.

Meningitis is a serious infection of the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord. It is caused by meningococcal disease, which is contracted by 1,000 to 2,600 people yearly in the United States. Meningococcal disease is also serious, with one in ten cases leading to

Lafayette College policy requires all the freshmen living in college dormitories to receive vaccination against meningococcal disease. Since the meningitis immunization is not an establish practice in my home country Georgia, Lafayette administration proposed to conduct the vaccination in the United States, in its affiliated health center Bailey’s. Like most international students, I received meningitis B vaccination on the second day of my arrival on campus.

In nineteenth century Geneva, a family came down with a strange disease— one that had never previously been diagnosed. In a short time, many people in their town were infected and thirty-three people were left dead. This strange disease was later determined to be meningitis. In 1806, the United States saw its first outbreak of meningitis in Massachusetts. It was not until 1887, however, that Professor Anton Weichselbaum was able to determine a cause of meningitis: a bacterium called Neisseria meningitides. Penicillin was first used to combat meningitis in 1944, and in 1978, a vaccine became available. The usage of vaccines was detrimental in the battle to gain control over the spread of meningitis (7). Even with these vaccines, however,

     In 1887, the causative agent Neisseria Meningitidis, the meningococcus, was identified. Because of its potential to cause epidemics, Neisseria Meningitidis is one of the most important types. In 1805, when Meningococcal disease was first described, an outbreak swept through Geneva, Switzerland. Twelve subtypes of Neisseria Meningitidis have been identified. Four of them have been recognized to cause epidemics. Those four are: A, B, C, and W135. The capabilities differ of the pathogenicity, immunogenicity, and

Bacterial Meningitis affects the nervous system by causing inflammation of a trio of membranes known as the Meninges that are situated around the brain and spinal cord. It 's a disease that is slowly but surely being defeated worldwide with mortality rates falling from 464,000 deaths in 1990 to 303,000 in 2013[3]. Common symptoms throughout the period of an infection include; headaches, vomiting, fever, neck stiffness and an altered mental state. The severity of symptoms can depend on the species of bacteria that caused the infection. Due to recent medical advancements the rates of mortality have fallen considerably in the developed world, however meningitis is still prevalent in less economically developed countries. In this document I will be describing the various inner workings of the disease, but more specifically, it 's pathogenesis, epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment and preventative methods, furthermore I shall also be focusing more on the prevalence of the disease in the UK, as opposed to other locations. [1]

Rouphael N, Stephens S (2015, March 4) Neisseria meningitidis: Biology, Microbiology and Epidemiology Retrieved from

Meningococcal Meningitis is a dangerous bacterial infection that has taken the lives of many people since it has been discovered. This particular form of meningitis can be detected by symptoms that someone experiences and can also sometimes be treated. There are now methods of prevention in order to try to avoid outbreaks from occurring. This blood borne pathogen is extremely dangerous and can greatly damage someone’s life.

Prognosis wise, early treatment dramatically increases survival rates; as statistics disclose that 10-15% of Meningococcal victims die – with reports adamant that young children and adults over 50 have an increased chance of death (NMA, 2014). Medical attention must be sort to immediately as soon as Meningococcal symptoms arise so that blood samples can be made. The Illinois Department of Public Health reported that “diagnosis is usually made by growing bacteria from a sample of blood or spinal fluid” – the Lumbar puncture technique. If the bacterium is found in samples, antibiotics are usually a preliminary option of treatment. Antibiotics, which are not usually employed to viral or fungal infections, aim to deter the impact of bacterial infections (Illinois Department of Public Health, 2007). Vaccinations of Meningococcal are dependent on its comparative strain; there are 13 strains of Meningococcal globally. In Australia the most prominent is strain B. B vaccine Bexsero is prescribed to combat the effects of Meningococcal but is also used a preventative measure for immunisation purposes (Australian Department of Health, 2015). However, the B vaccine Bexsero and other antibiotics may prove to be ineffective if administered after the pathogens have damaged the brain and spinal cord (CDC, 2015). Conversely, prevention is far more straight forward: avoid

In 1906 it was first discovered that horses were a viable source to make antibodies that could be used against the meningococcal bacteria. This was then further looked into and made more progress by an American scientist by the name of Simon Flexner. Flexner’s further development of the antibodies from the horses aided in the attempt to lower the mortality rate from the meningococcal disease. (1) The first reported case of using penicillin against meningitis and effectively working was not until over forty years later. Georg Joachmann, in Germany, and Flexner, in America, were the firsts to successfully treat meningitis with introduction of the serum therapy for meningococcal meningitis.

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