On Tuesday, a four-year-old boy died in the Sevillian municipality of Aznalcóllar. The medical picture he presented has immediately activated the health protocols both in the family environment and at school, on suspicion of meningitis as a cause of death.
After conducting the appropriate cultivation and knowing the results, the Ministry of Health has informed that a meningococcal disease is ruled out, although the real causes of death have not been disclosed.
Meningitis is characterized by inflammation of tissue membranes (meninges), which completely cover the brain and spinal cord.
This inflammation usually occurs after an infection. caused by viruses or bacteria that reach the nervous system. The most frequent are: pneumococcus, meningococcus (B and C), Haemophilus and enteroviruses. But there are another series of germs, or even some drugs, that can also cause a meningitis picture.
In Babies and more An 11-month-old baby dies from meningitis in Lleida: types of meningitis and vaccines availableIt is a rare but very contagious disease and once it appears it progresses suddenly being able cause death in a few hours. According to the AEP, meningitis affects between 400 and 600 people every year, 10 percent with fatal consequences, and about 30% are left with neurological sequelae.
How to prevent it? Immunization of children with vaccines is the best prevention. Against type C all children receive the meningitis C vaccine free of charge according to schedule at four months of life, at 12 months and at 12 years, while against type B there is the Bexsero B vaccine, not funded by The health system.
Preventive measures in suspected meningitis
When the case of a child suspected of having contracted meningococcal disease is detected, a health protocol is activated immediately. This includes the child's direct contacts, both from the family environment, as well as classmates from the school where he studied to administer chemoprophylaxis to interrupt the transmission chain.
If only one case has appeared, Prophylaxis is administered to colleagues who have frequent and continued contact with the patient (table, playmates, dining room, etc.), at most to the whole class. If more cases have been detected, the prophylaxis is extended and if three or more cases were detected in two or more classrooms in less than a month, the prophylaxis should be extended to the entire school.
In Babies and more A 'made in Spain' pen to detect meningitis in children
