The first outbreak in Africa was recorded in the 1840s, but it wasn’t until 1887 that Austrian bacteriologist Anton Vaykselbaum identified meningococcal bacteria as a cause of meningitis. In 1890, Heinrich Quincke (1842–1922) used a procedure called lumbar puncture (LP) on a patient with suspected meningitis.
When did meningitis come out?
Meningitis outbreak was first recorded in Geneva in 1805. Gaspard Vieusseux (1746-1814) and Andre Matthey (1778-1842) in Geneva, and Elisa North (1771-1843) in Massachusetts, described epidemic (meningococcal) meningitis. Several other epidemics in Europe and the United States were described shortly afterward.
Is Neisseria meningitidis rare?
Meningococcal infections are usually uncommon, but potentially fatal. More specifically: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates 2,600 cases of invasive meningococcal disease in the United States each year.
What gender is most affected by meningitis?
Meningococcal meningitis primarily affects infants, children, and young adults. Males are affected slightly more than females, and account for 55% of all cases, with an incidence of 1.2 cases per 100,000 population, compared to 1 case per 100,000 population among females.
Who is at risk for Neisseria meningitidis?
Anyone can get meningococcal disease, but rates of disease are highest in children younger than 1 year old, with a second peak in adolescence. Among teens and young adults, those 16 through 23 years old have the highest rates of meningococcal disease.
Was meningitis a pandemic?
In the past, meningitis has been classed as a pandemic. As WHO explains, ‘the most recent meningococcal meningitis pandemic began in the mid-1990s.
Who created the first meningitis vaccine?
The first meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV-4), Menactra, was licensed in the U.S. in 2005 by Sanofi Pasteur; Menveo was licensed in 2010 by Novartis.
Where is bacterial meningitis most commonly found?
Meningococcal disease occurs worldwide, with the highest incidence of disease found in the ‘meningitis belt’ of sub-Saharan Africa. In this region, major epidemics occur every 5 to 12 years with attack rates reaching 1,000 cases per 100,000 population.
How can meningitis be prevented?
A vaccine can help prevent infection. Even if vaccinated, anybody who has been in close contact with a person with meningococcal meningitis should receive an oral antibiotic to prevent the disease.
Where did meningitis come from?
Meningitis is an inflammation (swelling) of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord. A bacterial or viral infection of the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord usually causes the swelling. However, injuries, cancer, certain drugs, and other types of infections also can cause meningitis.
Where did meningococcal come from?
Meningococcal disease is caused by strains of the bacterium called Neisseria meningitidis . It is transmitted through close and prolonged contact with mucus from an infected person.
Is there a vaccine for Neisseria meningitidis?
Vaccines can help prevent meningococcal disease, which is any type of illness caused by Neisseria meningitidis bacteria. There are 2 types of meningococcal vaccines available in the United States: Meningococcal conjugate or MenACWY vaccines (Menactra® and Menveo®)
What antibiotic treats Neisseria meningitidis?
Meningococcal infections are usually treated with penicillin, ampicillin, or a combination of penicillin and chloramphenicol. Isolates of Neisseria meningitidis with increased levels of resistance to penicillin have been reported in the last few years, particularly from Spain and the United Kingdom (17, 20).
What causes Neisseria?
Bacteria called Neisseria meningitidis cause meningococcal disease. About 1 in 10 people have these bacteria in the back of their nose and throat without being ill. This is called being ‘a carrier’.
What is major cockle rash?
Meningococcal meningitis is a rare but serious bacterial infection. It causes the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord to become inflamed. Each year, approximately 1,000 people in the U.S. get meningococcal disease, which includes meningitis and septicemia (blood infection).
Is meningococcal vaccine necessary?
CDC recommends meningococcal vaccination for all preteens and teens. In certain situations, CDC also recommends other children and adults get meningococcal vaccines.
How long did it take to develop the chickenpox vaccine?
“But gradually, the symptoms lessened and my son recovered,” he added. “I realized then that I should use my knowledge of viruses to develop a chickenpox vaccine.” He returned to Japan in 1965 and within five years had developed an early version of the vaccine. By 1972 he was experimenting with it in clinical trials.
What is the difference between a pandemic and a pandemic?
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the difference between an epidemic and a pandemic is that: Epidemic is a sudden outbreak of a disease in a certain geographical area. Pandemic is an outbreak of a disease that has spread across several countries or continents.
What is the difference between a pandemic and an epidemic and an outbreak?
AN EPIDEMIC is a disease that affects a large number of people within a community, population, or region. A PANDEMIC is an epidemic that’s spread over multiple countries or continents. … AN OUTBREAK is a greater-than-anticipated increase in the number of endemic cases.
Was the Black Death an epidemic or pandemic?
Black Death, pandemic that ravaged Europe between 1347 and 1351, taking a proportionately greater toll of life than any other known epidemic or war up to that time.
Can you still get meningitis If you’ve been vaccinated?
The vaccines also do not protect against infections from all the types (strains) of each of these bacteria. For these reasons, there is still a chance vaccinated people can develop bacterial meningitis.
How can Neisseria meningitidis be prevented?
Getting a meningococcal vaccine is the best way to protect against meningococcal disease. There are two types of meningococcal vaccines available in the United States: Meningococcal ACWY (MenACWY) vaccine. Serogroup B meningococcal (MenB) vaccine.
Can a 12 year old get meningitis?
Meningitis is an inflammation of the meninges, the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord. People of any age can get meningitis. But it can spread easily among those living in close quarters, so teens, college students, and boarding-school students are at higher risk for infection.