Pupil’s death sparks renewed fears on meningococcemia

The death of a grade school pupil in Quezon City has sparked renewed fears of the dreaded meningococcemia disease. On Thursday, Health Secretary Francisco Duque III urged the public to be wary of symptoms of meningococcemia and promptly seek treatment for it. Duque issued the appeal even as he described meningococcemia cases as “isolated" and can be easily avoided with the proper precautions. “It is easy to avid it, so long as you take precautions and seek immediate treatment when you notice symptoms of the disease," he said in an interview on dzEC radio. Symptoms of the disease include severe headache, vomiting, stiff neck and “altered consciousness" or dizziness, general weakness of the body, and discoloration of the skin. Duque said that while there is no risk of spreading the disease through casual contact, the disease can be acquired with “close or intimate contact" with affected members of the household. On Tuesday, a fourth-grade pupil of the New Era University in Quezon City died at the San Lazaro Hospital. Health authorities said the symptoms were “clinically consistent" with meningococcemia. Duque said the victim's household help had been given antibiotics, to head off the possibility that the household help could spread the disease. A primer on the disease on the Department of Health website indicates the incubation period lasts for two to 10 days, with an average of three to four days. Characterizing the disease is a sudden onset of high-grade fever (>380C) lasting for 24 hours. Other signs and symptoms are petechial and/or purpuric rashes appearing within 24 hours after onset of fever, and signs of meningeal irritation such as: headache, nausea and vomiting, stiff neck, bulging fontanel (among infants), seizure or convulsions, and sensorial changes. Diagnosis is confirmed by demonstration of the bacteria in a gram-stained smear of the cerebro-spinal fluid (CSF) and the isolation of the bacteria from the CSF blood. The disease is usually sporadic, as cases occur alone or may affect household members in intimate contact with the patient. “Although primarily a disease of children, it may occur among adults especially in conditions of forced overcrowding such as institutions, jails and barracks. It occurs more in males than females," the DOH primer said. It added that transmission is by direct contact with respiratory droplets from nose and throat of infected persons. Carriers may exist without cases of meningitis. Transmission via objects like personal belongings of cases is insignificant. Preventive measures are geared towards reducing overcrowding and exposure to droplet infection. Immunization of civilians is not recommended as duration of protection is limited. Antibiotics given early can treat the disease, and fatality rate is rendered less than 10 percent. Aqueous Penicillin G may be given to both children and adults. Chloramphenicol may be given in cases of Penicillin allergy, the DOH said. Prophylaxis is reserved for those who have intimate contact with the patient; household members, boyfriend/girlfriend, sexual partners, hospital personnel who did suctioning of secretions and/or mouth resuscitation. Rifampicin is the drug of choice and may be given to both children and adults. -GMANews.TV