TRAVELERS have been warned about a potentially fatal infection that can kill within 24 hours, after cases of the disease were detected in four holiday hotspots as well as the UK.
In recent weeks, France, Norway, the US and the UK have reported cases of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) in people who have traveled to Saudi Arabia.
In his most recent Report on Communicable Disease ThreatsThe European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) warned that someone in the Netherlands contracted the sometimes deadly disease without having traveled to the Middle East region.
Although they did not go there themselves, the patient fell ill with AMD after coming into “close contact” with people who returned from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on May 8.
“The case itself did not affect travelers and other potential exposures cannot be ruled out,” the ECDC said.
The person began showing symptoms of IMD serogroup W on May 16 and was not vaccinated against the disease.
Meningococcal disease is caused by bacteria Neisseria meningitidis and can result in two serious illnesses – meningitis and septicemia.
The bacteria usually hide in the back of the throat without making people sick, but occasionally they can invade the body and cause a serious bacterial infection that tends to progress quickly.
Meningococcal meningitis and septicemia require urgent treatment with antibiotics and rapid hospital admission to avoid being life-threatening.
Up to 10 percent of meningococcal disease can result in death, according to the charity Meningitis now.
And according to the Meningitis Research Foundation, nine out of 10 children and teenagers who die from meningococcal meningitis die within 24 hours.
Babies and young children are most at risk, followed by teenagers and young adults.
It comes after three people tested positive for the disease in the UK after returning from Saudi Arabia.
Four cases of the disease were also reported in France, five in the USA and one in Norway, all in travelers or contacts of pilgrims who returned from the Umrah pilgrimage.
Believers in the Muslim faith make Umrah trips to the holy city of Mecca throughout the year to receive blessings.
Muslims also make a longer pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their lives during a certain time of year called Hajj, which this year falls between June 14th and 19th.
“More than two million pilgrims are expected to participate in the Hajj from around the world, including from 24 EU/EEA countries,” the ECDC said.
He said health authorities in Saudi Arabia had issued a list of requirements for 2024 Hajj and Umrah pilgrims, which included receiving the quadrivalent meningococcal vaccine polysaccharide (ACYW) vaccine at least 10 days before arrival or having received the vaccine in the last three years.
Travelers also had the option of having the quadrivalent
ACYW conjugate vaccine within the last five years and at least 10 days before arrival.
Know the signs of meningitis and septicemia
Meningitis is an inflammation of the lining that surrounds the brain and spinal cord – the meninges.
Septicemia is a blood poisoning caused by the same germs as meningitis and is fatal. It can occur with or without meningitis.
Both meningitis and septicemia can kill within hours, so it’s crucial to know the symptoms so you can act quickly.
Symptoms can appear in any order and not all of them appear. For example, the meningitis rash does not always appear.
It can be difficult to differentiate meningitis/septicemia from other common illnesses.
Symptoms marked with an * indicate those that are more specific to meningitis/septicemia and are rarer with common infections.
Symptoms of septicemia and meningitis
- Fever and/or vomiting
- Very drowsy, empty, or difficult to wake up
- Confused/delusional*
- A rash, which can occur anywhere on the body*
Additional symptoms of meningitis
- Severe headache
- Seizures
- I don’t like bright lights
- Torticollis*
Additional Symptoms of Septicemia
- Rapid breathing/shortness of breath
- Pale or blotchy skin
- Pain in limbs/muscles/joints, which may be accompanied by stomach pain or diarrhea*
- Cold hands, feet or tremors*
Source: Meningitis Research Foundation
In addition to IMD, pilgrims may be at greater risk of respiratory illnesses and mosquito-borne illnesses, health officials said.
The ECDC said the risk of IMD spreading across Europe due to imported cases was “very low”.
As for pilgrims, he stated that the risk of infection was greater if they had not been vaccinated.
People traveling to Saudi Arabia were previously urged to be aware of symptoms of meningitis and septicemia, which can progress “rapidly” and require urgent medical support and emergency antibiotics.
Doctors have also been notified to look for signs of meningitis in returning travelers and to flag whether the person has been to Saudi Arabia for the pilgrimage.
Vaccines offer some protection against certain causes of meningitis.
That includes:
- Meningitis B vaccine – offered to babies at 8 weeks, followed by a second dose at 16 weeks and a booster at 1 year
- 6-in-1 vaccine – offered to babies at 8, 12 and 16 weeks of age
- Pneumococcal vaccine – offered to babies aged 12 weeks and between 12 and 13 months of age
- Meningitis C vaccine – offered at 12 weeks of age, 1 year
- MMR vaccine – offered to babies at 1 year old and second dose at 3 years and 4 months
- ACWY Meningitis Vaccine – offered to teenagers who are in S3 (around 14 years old) at school. Young people who are in S4-S6 and missed the opportunity to be immunized last year will also be able to get the vaccine at school this year
two
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
