Russian epidemiologists warn that an outbreak of bacterial meningitis may occur in the country. This is reported by “MK” with reference to experts who spoke at the XV annual All-Russian Congress on Infectious Diseases named after Academician V.I. Pokrovsky.
What is the disease?
This is an infection that affects the brain. In some cases, the course of the disease can be fatal. There is also a high probability of remaining permanently disabled.
Most often, the cause of the disease is meningococcal and pneumococcal infections, as well as Haemophilus influenzae.
How does the disease manifest itself?
The first symptoms of the disease are similar to SARS. This is fever, headache, sensitivity to light.
Therefore, at first, many are in no hurry to contact a medical institution, the newspaper writes. However, meningitis develops rapidly, and its last stages of development can be fatal.
According to Head of the Reference Center for Monitoring Bacterial Meningitis Irina Koroleva, mortality in bacterial meningitis ranges from 4 to 20%, depending on the strain and age of the patient.
“In recent years, hypervirulent strains have become widespread in the world, among them a Chinese strain and a strain from the United States. At the same time, we are faced with difficulties in choosing a drug for treatment: there is an increase in bacterial resistance to antibiotics, including penicillin. The genomic diversity of meningococcal lines allows the pathogen to adapt to environmental conditions and change. Scientists consider the bacterium that causes meningitis to be one of the most variable in nature.
Is it true that there could be an outbreak of bacterial meningitis in Russia?
According to epidemiologists, after strict sanitary standards and lockdowns during the pandemic, the incidence of bacterial meningitis gradually disappeared.
However, as the periods of isolation ended, according to experts, the statistics began to rise sharply. According to them, growth was recorded in all federal districts, except for the Far East. Among adults, the growth was 1.4 times, among children – 2.1 times.
“Another new feature that we have not seen before is the appearance of foci with group morbidity. In 2022, the outbreak was in Novosibirsk: 62 people fell ill in 2.5 months, and the population had to be vaccinated on a large scale. And in Moscow in 2022, there were 7 foci: mostly men who came from Uzbekistan became infected. Following Moscow, there was an outbreak in the Moscow region (Istra district): 7 people fell ill with meningococcal meningitis, 1 was fatal. They were citizens of Uzbekistan and Belarus. But the analyzes revealed in all the sick not an imported, but a local strain! the Queen said.
Epidemiologists came to the conclusion that all the signs of a complication of the epidemiological situation were revealed in the country. All this may indicate the beginning of the rise, they are sure.
“For many years we lived in an inter-epidemic period, but now we see signs that it is ending. You have to be vigilant,” the expert warned.
How to protect yourself?
According to the publication, bacterial meningitis can be prevented by vaccination. There are vaccines against all pathogens of purulent meningitis. However, so far the coverage of the vaccinated is low. Epidemiologists assure that all these vaccinations should be in the all-Russian calendar.
Sources:
https://www.mk.ru
Source: aif.ru
