About Meningococcal Meningitis
Meningococcal meningitis, a type of meningococcal disease, is a life-threatening bacterial infection, caused by the bacterium Neisseria meningitidis.
Meningococcal meningitis, a type of meningococcal disease, can affect the lining of the brain and spinal cord (meningitis), cause an infection in the bloodstream (meningococcemia), or both. It is a form of bacterial meningitis.
Meningococcal meningitis is a medical emergency and can cause death in as little as twenty-four hours in an otherwise healthy person.
Although meningococcal meningitis is most common in infants under one year of age and people 16 - 23, it's essential to know that meningococcal meningitis knows no boundaries and can affect anyone at any age.
Who Is Affected
Meningococcal meningitis can affect anyone at any age, however:
Young adults (16-23), including
high school students, are at increased risk of meningococcal meningitis because of how they socialize.
College students are 5x more likely to contract Meningitis B as compared to non-college students.
How is Meningococcal Meningitis Spread?
Meningococcal bacteria are spread from person to person through direct contact with large droplet respiratory secretions (saliva or spit) from someone who is infected or an asymptomatic carrier during close or lengthy contact.
Close contacts, such as those living in the same household, roommates, or anyone with direct contact with another person’s oral secretions (such as a boyfriend or girlfriend), would be considered at increased risk of becoming infected. Close contact includes kissing, sneezing, coughing, sharing water bottles, lip balm, e-cigarettes, mouthpieces on musical instruments, sharing eating or drinking utensils, or sharing cigarettes with someone infected or an asymptomatic carrier.
Fortunately, the bacteria are much harder to spread than other infections, such as the flu (influenza) and cannot live outside of the body for very long. The bacteria are not spread by casual contact, such as simply breathing the same air in the same room as someone infected, being where someone carrying the bacteria has been, or by handling items they have touched.
Approximately 10% of the population are carriers, meaning they have the meningococcal bacteria in their noses and throats. Although some people who have the bacteria may show no signs or symptoms of the disease (disease carriers), they can still transmit it to others. Carrier rates are highest among adolescent populations, with a peak prevalence of 23·7% in 19-year-olds.
Common groups (serogroups) of meningococcal bacteria cause most meningococcal meningitis in the United States:
What are the symptoms?
The symptoms of meningococcal meningitis often resemble the flu or a less severe illness, making diagnosis difficult. Symptoms can appear quickly or over several days—typically within 2-7 days after exposure to the bacteria.
Sudden high fever
Nausea and vomiting
Purplish skin rash
Weakness, feeling
very ill, confused
Stiff neck
Cold hands and feet
Sudden, severe
headache
Eyes sensitive to light
Muscle and body aches
How is it treated?
Meningococcal meningitis is treated with antibiotics. When given shortly after symptoms start, antibiotics may prevent the disease from worsening. Unfortunately, even with proper treatment, 10-15% of people with meningococcal disease die, and many others are affected for life. People who qualify as close contacts of a person with meningococcal disease should also receive antibiotics to prevent them from getting the disease.
Approximately 1 in 5 survivors live the rest of their lives with permanent disabilities, such as limb amputations, kidney disease, seizures, deafness, and intellectual disability.
Staying up to date with available and recommended vaccines is the best defense against meningococcal meningitis.
What vaccines are available to protect against meningococcal meningitis?
There are three types of meningococcal vaccines currently available in the United States to help protect against the five most common types of bacteria that cause meningococcal meningitis: A, B, C, W, and Y. Most adolescents and young adults have received the MenACWY vaccine, but few have received the MenB vaccine, which became available in 2014.
A person must have received protection against serogroups A, B, C, W and Y to be fully immunized against meningococcal meningitis. Ask your healthcare provider today.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends:
All 11-to-12-year-olds should get a single dose of the MenACWY vaccine and a booster dose of the MenACWY vaccine at age 16.
Teens and young adults (16-23) may also get a MenB vaccine, preferably at 16 through 18 years old, followed by a second MenB dose six months later.
MenABCWY vaccination is an option for people 10 years or older who are getting MenACWY and MenB vaccines at the same visit.
MenACWY
Vaccine
MenB
Vaccine
MenABCWY
Vaccine
Note: The MenACWY, MenB, and MenABCWY vaccines are covered by public and most private health insurance. MenB vaccination can be given at the same time as the MenACWY vaccine booster dose at different anatomical sites, or the new MenABCWY can be considered.
The bottom line for Meningitis B vaccines
The healthcare provider is responsible for discussing the Meningitis B vaccine with their adolescent patients and their parents.
However, not all healthcare providers discuss MenB vaccination with their patients. We also encourage parents to proactively ask their child’s healthcare provider, “Is my child also protected against Meningitis B?”
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