Recognize the Dangerous Meningokok Disease

Meningokok is the most common cause of Meningitis in children and the second most common in adults. The disease is transmitted from one person to another through direct contact or through droplet, with a distance of up to one meter. Symptoms include

1. Fever and shivering
2. Changes in mental status
3. Males and vomiting
4. Great headaches
5. Decreased awareness
6. No appetite At the physical examination, will be found the presence of a fast heart rate, fever, changes in mental state, skin rash and Brudzinski's neck sign.

 

Meningokok Disease is a disease that should be taken care of as it is in a medical emergency. Weather conditions, such as temperature and humidity, also affect the proliferation of bacteria causing smoking. Besides, they also frequent cross-country travel and migration that facilitates the spread of rapid Meningokok infectious diseases. Therefore, prevention is needed to avoid smoking disease, namely vaccination.

Routine vaccines are given to groups of people aged 19 - 55 who are at high risk of smoking infections, among others:

1. New students who live in the dormitory
2. Microbiological scientists who are regularly exposed to isolation N.Meningitidis
3. Soldiers serving in endemic areas
4. People who travels to hyperendemic and epidemic areas
5. People who go to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, for Hajj worship, umrah, and labour force

 

The immunity period of the Meningococcal Meningitis vaccine is two years as proven in the International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis Card. (ICV). If a person leaving an endemic area is less than two years old, then the reinforcer vaccine can still be given before the immunity period ends with the aim of improving memory response and boosting antibodies. The mandatory vaccination of meningococcal meningitis is given to people who want to travel to areas with a high prevalence of meningitis, one of which is Saudi Arabia.

 

Meningitis is fatal when ignored, and untreated. Proper antibiotic treatment should start as soon as possible on bacterial Meningitis. One in five people who survived an episode of bacterial meningitis may have long lasting side effects. These side effects include hearing impairment, seizures, weakness of limbs, difficulties with vision, speech, language, memory and communication as well as scar tissue and limb amputation after sepsis.

For Friend Hermina, if you have any symptoms, you should immediately undergo further examination.

Created by: Dr. Bernie, Sp.PD

Reviewed by: Dr. Syamsul Rizal

Reference:

Ministry of Health RI (2019). Guide to Detection and Response of Meningitis Meningococcal Disease

Pope Adult Immunization Guidelines (2022). Adult immunization guidelines 2022