Bacterial Meningitis

Bacterial Meningitis

Meningitis is contagion caused by swelling of the meninges, which is the layer that protects the spinal cord and brain. This swelling is because of the Cerebral Spinal Fluids (CSF) Infection. Meningitis is of five different types, and it comprises of the viral,non-infectious, fungal, parasitic, and bacterial. Still, the common causes of meningitis are either infection by bacteria or viral infection (Meningitis Research Foundation, 2010). Meningitis is usually transmitted by either through surface or air. Transmission may take place when secretions of the throat or from the mouth of the infected person lands on the surface, for example, sneezes and coughs. Acute bacterial meningitis is very contagious and may affect individuals of all ages. The mortality rate of acute bacterial meningitis is high, even after administering treatment, which is about 15%. Some of the common side effects include headaches, petechial body rash, fever and chills, stiff neck, confusion, and vomiting.

Acute bacterial meningitis has been prevalent in the United States, and it has affected many people. In a research study thatwas carried out in 1986 in five states in the United States, that is Washington, Tennessee New Jersey, Oklahoma, and Missouri, and the county of Log Angeles, 34 million people were analysis performed, for the most prevalence acute bacterial meningitis (Haemophilusinfluenzae, Neisseria meningitides, Streptococcus pneumonaie, and Streptococcus pneumonaie. The results from the study showed that the general cases of acute bacterial meningitis were almost 2 to 3 times the priorresearch report, which had been conducted in 1977. The most common types of acute bacterial meningitis were Streptococcus pneumonaie, Haemophilusinfluenzae, Neisseria meningitides, and, and it accounted for 77% of the total cases of acute bacterial meningitis (Jacksonet at, 1993)

Due to the high incidences of acute bacterial meningitis, strategies that would lead to the effective development of vaccines against these infections were identified. Conjugate Haemophilusinfluenzae type b vaccines were introduced inthe US,and the epidemic of acute bacterial meningitis changed some much. Laboratory research was conductedin 1995, for people in 22 counties of four states in the United States, which is Georgia, Tennessee, Maryland, and California. The results from the research showed that the cases of acute bacterial meningitis, which was related to Haemophilusinfluenzae, had declined dramatically, and this was a result of the introduction of type b Haemophilusinfluenzae vaccine. The cases of otheragentsof etiological had a minimal change in comparison with 1986 rates of acute bacterial meningitis. ..

The conjugate heptavalent pneumococcal vaccines were introduced in 2000, and it was linked to a substantial decrease in the cases of pneumococcal acute bacterial meningitis. In the development of Heptavalent vaccine, capsular polysaccharide was conjugated to the proteins carrier tetanus toxoid or non-toxic variant, and it consisted of seven common pneumococcal serotypes (Tunkel, et at, 2001). In a study which was carried out from 1998 to 2003, by CDC surveillance, it showed that there was also a substantial decrease in cases of pneumococcal acute bacterial meningitis incidence in children whose age were less than two years.

In conclusion, the introduction of various conjugate vaccines of the different types of acute bacterial meningitis and preventive treatment led to a significant decrease in the number of incidences of people who got acute bacterial meningitis infection and, therefore, the best method to prevent this disease was through the vaccine.

References

Adams, W. G., Deaver, K. A., Cochi, S. L., Plikaytis, B. D., Zell, E. R., Broome, C. V., … & Stull, T. (1993). Decline of childhood Haemophilusinfluenzae type b (Hib) disease in the Hib vaccine era. Jama, 269(2), 221-226.

Beckett, G. (2010). Meningitis and septicaemia: diagnosis and prevention. Practice Nursing, 21(8), 398-402.

Jackson, L. A., & Wenger, J. D. (1993). Laboratory-based surveillance for meningococcal disease in selected areas, United States, 1989–1991. MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY WEEKLY REPORT: CDC Surveillance Summaries, 21-30.

Tunkel, A. R., &Scheld, W. M. (2001). Bacterial meningitis (pp. 179-190). Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.