When the human body is weakened, it is most susceptible to infections. Especially in winter and spring. A disease that is transmitted by airborne droplets, especially during this period, is easy to get sick. Attention should be paid to the symptoms. A common cold can be the beginning of a serious and dangerous illness. The unpredictable course of meningococcal nasopharyngitis can even lead to death. Consider how this disease proceeds, what are the causes of its appearance, symptoms, as well as which treatment methods are most effective.
Causes of the disease
Meningococcal infection - nasopharyngitis - is transmitted by airborne droplets. The source of infection is a sick person. You can get infected by communicating with the carrier, with a kiss, cough, sneezing. At the initial stage, the disease is provoked by a viral infection. But in the occurrence of the disease, meningococcal nasopharyngitis is caused by the bacterium meningococcus.
Epidemics occur in crowded places. Also, most often this disease affects people in the team. These are children and adolescents in schools, kindergartens, as well as in dormitories during the student years, in the barracks in the army. You can get sick at any time of the year, but most often exacerbations occur in winter, early spring and late autumn.
Meningococcal infection happens:
Meningococcal nasopharyngitis refers to a localized form of meningococcal infection. Bacteria are also included here. The danger is that in the second case, a person is a danger to others, while he himself does not feel any symptoms of the disease.
But with a decrease in immunity, the disease can go into another form, more dangerous - generalized.
The disease proceeds easily, but can be complicated by other forms. This is possible if:
- reduced immunity;
- the infectious process joins.
It has been proven that there is a genetic predisposition to meningococcal infection. In such cases, the patient does not have a cellular immune response when meningococci enters the body. Relapse of the disease in such patients is possible. In other cases, after suffering a meningococcal infection, a stable immunity is developed, the second time you will not get sick. But very rare cases of re-infection occur.
Who is more susceptible to the disease
You can identify people who are most susceptible to meningococcal infection. It:
- Children from 6 months to 3 years.
- Age category from 14 to 20 years.
- People in contact with patients with meningococcal infection.
- Living in hostels, barracks.
- Children and adults from low-income groups.
- Citizens living in unsanitary conditions, which are a favorable environment for the spread of the disease.
- Residents of Africa, South America and China. They regularly get sick in the hot seasons of the year.
And also at risk include:
- People with weakened immunity.
- Often sick children.
- People who are in countries with an unfavorable epidemic situation.
- Exhausted people after serious illness.
- People with malignant processes in the body.
- Citizens with severe heart disease, kidney and liver disease.
- People with chronic diseases of the ENT organs.
Adult Meningococcal Nasopharyngitis
We highlight several features of the course of the disease in adults:
- People fall ill up to 30 years. Most often these are men.
- Girls get sick at an earlier age.
- The course of the disease is favorable.
- With an epidemic, adults are more likely to get sick.
- The course is severe in the elderly, if there are concomitant diseases. Particularly difficult to bear this disease bedridden patients.
- Adults are more often carriers of bacteria. However, nothing indicates an infection.
- Rarely, carriage of bacteria passes into another form, only with a strong decrease in immunity.
- Bacteria are less likely to get sick than children.
- With frequent contact with healthy bacterial carriers in the team, adults are immunized when the meningococcus enters the mucosa.
Meningococcal nasopharyngitis has an incubation period that lasts from one day to ten. Most often it takes three days.
Features of the course of the disease in children
In children, the course of the disease depends on how weak the immune system is. But the following features can be distinguished:
- Acute onset of the disease.
- Meningococcal nasopharyngitis in children has very similar symptoms to acute respiratory infections.
- Not all children have a fever.
- Children get sick more often.
- Rarely are bacteria carriers.
- Clinical manifestations within 5-7 days.
- Runny nose, nasal congestion appears at the very beginning of the disease.
- Discharge from the nose has purulent impurities and mucus.
- There is the possibility of the transition of meningococcal infection into generalized forms.
- Change in blood composition.
- The course is not heavy.
- A sharp onset of the disease and rapid development are possible. In this case, severe symptoms appear that indicate not a generalization of the disease.
Most often, infection with meningococcal infection occurs in the spring and affects primarily children with weakened immunity. The child must be constantly monitored, since with the transition of the disease to the generalized form, the disease develops at lightning speed, and this can lead to death. Therefore, in case of suspected meningococcal nasopharyngitis, the child must be hospitalized.
Symptoms of the disease
We list the symptoms of meningococcal nasopharyngitis:
- Sack and sore throat.
- Nasal discharge.
- Mucosal edema.
- Low-grade fever.
- Headache is not pronounced as with a generalized form.
- Dry, reflex cough.
- Weakness.
- Pallor of the skin.
- Hyperplasia of the tonsils, posterior pharyngeal wall.
Most often, meningococcal nasopharyngitis is easy, but if the body is weak, then symptoms of severe intoxication of the body may occur. Including hemorrhagic rashes on the skin, as well as meningeal symptoms, may appear. Adverse factors, primarily weakened immunity, allow the causative agent of the meningococcus disease to enter the bloodstream, which leads to the development of meningitis. The following symptoms may appear:
- Photophobia.
- Strong headache.
- Hemorrhagic rash.
- Vomiting that does not bring relief.
- Stiff neck.
- In children, blood pressure drops.
- Joint pain.
- Heart palpitations.
- Temperature rise.
It is necessary to consult a doctor. If you see a rapid deterioration in the condition of the child, immediately call an ambulance.
Symptoms of nasopharyngitis of this form disappear after 7-10 days. Further, within 2-3 weeks a healthy carriage of meningococcus is noted.
It is worth noting that meningococcal nasopharyngitis in children and adults is very difficult to distinguish from ordinary nasopharyngitis. It is difficult to diagnose without appropriate research. Contact with a patient with meningitis is suspected in the presence of symptoms. If there are symptoms, they are subject to hospitalization.
Establishing diagnosis
In order to diagnose meningococcal nasopharyngitis, it is necessary to conduct a differential diagnosis. To do this, you must:
- Analyze the medical history. Acute onset of the disease. The presence of symptoms indicated earlier.
- Clarify whether there was contact with a patient with meningococcal infection or with a bacterium carrier.
- Conduct a clinical examination.
- Laboratory tests.
- Serological studies, rapid diagnosis.
- Pass an analysis for PCR.
- Conduct immunological studies.
Timely treatment initiated can save a life.
Next, we clarify which laboratory tests are carried out for diagnosis.
Diagnosis of the disease
Diagnosis of meningococcal nasopharyngitis necessarily includes bacteriological examination.
- Analysis of mucus from the back of the nasopharynx, from the nose.
- Analysis of antibodies in RNGA, ELISA.
- A complete blood count may show increased ESR and unexpressed leukocytosis.
If you suspect a meningococcal infection, they can also examine:
- Cerebrospinal fluid.
- Blood with EDTA for PCR testing.
- Functional liver tests.
- Coagulogram.
- The concentration of urea and creatinine, glucose.
- Discharge from the lungs.
Before cerebrospinal fluid is taken, a CT scan of the brain is recommended. However, this can delay the treatment for a while, which is unacceptable. Therefore, if it is not possible to conduct a CT scan immediately, the analysis is taken without this study.
How to treat?
If a child or adult has a suspicion of meningococcal nasopharyngitis, it is urgent to consult a doctor. The patient must be hospitalized in a specialized department of the infectious diseases hospital. At the initial stage, discontinue contact with the virus carrier. Then immediately begin treatment.
As a rule, antibiotics are used:
- Amoxicillin.
- "Erythromycin."
- Ceftriaxone.
To combat fever and to relieve pain, anti-inflammatory non-steroid drugs are used: Ibuprofen; "Nimesulide." And also "Paracetamol".
It is also possible to use corticosteroids and immunoglobulins.
In the treatment of meningococcal nasopharyngitis at the same time use means for irrigation of the nose and throat, rinsing with saline, antiseptics, inhalation with saline. It is necessary to drink plenty of fluids in order to reduce the intoxication of the body. In some cases, vitamins and drugs that increase immunity are prescribed.
Meningococcal nasopharyngitis is an infectious disease, so bed rest must be observed and contact with others must be limited.
Everyone who has contacted the patient should be under the supervision of a physician. Perhaps for them the appointment of a prophylactic course of taking antibiotics.
If someone from the patient’s environment has similar symptoms, he is also subject to hospitalization.
Unfortunately, the disease can turn into a generalized form of meningococcal infection, this is its danger. If such complications are recorded, the patient is transferred to intensive care. The following actions are carried out there:
- Detoxification therapy.
- Anticonvulsant measures.
- Antishock therapy.
They are discharged from the hospital after the main symptoms of the disease disappear, as well as in the absence of meningococci in the bacteriological analysis of a smear from the nose and pharynx. Back sowing from the nasopharynx is taken 2 times. The first three days after antibiotic therapy, the next two days later.
If treatment is started too late, neuropsychic disorders may develop. In the future, you need to regularly visit a doctor.
Anyone who has had a meningococcal infection needs outpatient monitoring. The team is allowed to leave after 10 days of home regimen and control bacterial seeding of mucus from the nose and throat.
Everyone should know that meningococcal nasopharyngitis has complications.
Possible consequences
First of all, it is necessary to limit contacts, first of all, of children with the sick, since in childhood the body is more susceptible to infection.
It should be noted what health complications are possible if acute meningococcal nasopharyngitis passes into a generalized form of the disease:
- Cerebral edema.
- Pulmonary edema.
- The development of acute renal failure.
- Epilepsy.
- Cerebral hypotension.
- Malfunctions of the nervous system.
It is worth remembering that fulminant forms of the disease often end in death.
The most successful outcome of the pathology for the patient is bacterial carriage. For the patient himself, it is not dangerous, but for those around him there is a high probability of infection.
Disease Prevention Measures
In case of illness, quarantine must be established. Contact persons are examined. If meningococcus is found, monitoring of children, relatives, colleagues for 10 days is established.
Preventive actions are vaccination. In times of epidemic, vaccinations are free. For prevention, people are vaccinated at will. Children are vaccinated against meningococcal infection after a year. Revaccination is carried out after three years.
Existing vaccines:
- "Vaccine meningococcal group A polysaccharide dry."
- Meningo A + C.
- "Menactra."
- "A + C polysaccharide meningococcal vaccine."
- Mentsevax ACWY.
Some vaccines protect against three serotypes, and some from one. This is the difference between vaccines in composition.
Note the categories that need a vaccine against meningococcal infection :
- Children from 2 to 10 years old.
- Vaccination from 11 to 18 years and from 19 to 55 years is recommended.
- People at risk: draftees, freshmen living in dormitories.
- People from countries with a dangerous epidemic.
- Persons in contact with the carrier and the diseased.
Also, preventive measures include:
- Washing and cleaning with detergents and disinfectants.
- Ventilation.
- Ultraviolet irradiation of the room where the sick person was.
For prevention, it is necessary:
- Get vaccinated on time.
- Maintain a clean room.
- Do wet cleaning.
- Screened for the presence of meningococcus in the body.
- Strengthen the immune system.
Keep in mind that nasopharyngitis is a form of meningococcal infection. When the usual symptoms of acute respiratory infections occur in a child, you must always consult a doctor so as not to miss a dangerous disease.
Preventive measures will reduce the likelihood of infection or the occurrence of a serious illness. Everyone bears responsibility for their own health, and parents are responsible for the well-being of their children.