Vaccination a life saver against meningitis

Meningococcal meningitis mainly affects infants and adolescents who are generally considered healthy, presenting with symptoms that can be likened to the flu, myalgia, headache, fever, photophobia, stiff neck, rash and eventual total body organ failure. The disease is caused by a bacteria, Neisseria meningitidis, that is common in the community (15% are carriers), transmitted in mucous and saliva as it lives in people's upper airways, but only causes death to relatively few. The bacteria also cause survivors to be left with brain damage, amputated limbs, kidney disease, and other organ dysfunction. These adverse effects can be avoided with timely diagnosis of meningococcal disease with antibiotic treatment and prevention via vaccination.

Source: summary of medical news story as reported by Inside Bay Area

Related Disease Topics:

• Meningococcal meningitis
• Organ failure
• Death
• Brain damage
• Kidney disease
• Organ dysfunction
• Meningococcal disease

Related Symptom Topics:

• Flu symptoms
• Myalgia
• Headache
• Fever
• Photophobia
• Stiff neck
• Rash

Article Source Details

About: Vaccination a life saver against meningitis

Date: 28 August 2005

Source: Inside Bay Area

Author: Brian Chasnoff

URL: http://www.insidebayarea.com/bayarealiving/ci_2981103

Related Medical Topics

This summary article refers to the following medical categories:

• Medication and vaccination
• Medication and antibiotics
• Medication and meningitis
• Medication and meningococcal meningitis
• Medication and bacterial infection
• Cause of flu-like symptoms
• Cause of myalgia
• Cause of headache
• Cause of fever
• Cause of photophobia
• Cause of stiff neck
• Cause of rash
• Cause of Meningococcal meningitis
• Cause of organ failure
• Cause of cause of death
• Cause of brain damage
• Cause of kidney disease
• Cause of organ dysfunction
• Cause of meningococcal disease
• Cause of DIC
• Cause of disseminated intravascular coagulopathy
• Cause of infant death
• Cause of infant disease
• Cause of infant illness
• Cause of adolescent disease
• Cause of adolescent illness
• Cause of teenage death
• Risk and death
• Risk and saliva
• Risk and coughing
• Risk and sneezing
• Risk and mucus
• Risk and flu symptoms
• Risk and myalgia
• Risk and headache
• Risk and fever
• Risk and photophobia
• Risk and stiff neck
• Risk and rash
• Risk and Meningococcal meningitis
• Risk and organ failure
• Risk and brain damage
• Risk and kidney disease
• Risk and organ dysfunction
• Risk and meningococcal disease
• Death from Meningococcal meningitis
• Death from meningitis
• Death from organ failure
• Death from brain damage
• Death from kidney disease
• Death from organ dysfunction
• Death from meningococcal disease
• Undiagnosed and death
• Undiagnosed and flu symptoms
• Undiagnosed and myalgia
• Undiagnosed and headache
• Undiagnosed and fever
• Undiagnosed and photophobia
• Undiagnosed and stiff neck
• Undiagnosed and rash
• Undiagnosed and Meningococcal meningitis
• Undiagnosed and organ failure
• Undiagnosed and death
• Undiagnosed and brain damage
• Undiagnosed and kidney disease
• Undiagnosed and organ dysfunction
• Undiagnosed and meningococcal disease

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