Cdc Meningitis Case Studies
A case report from May 24, 2001 involves a 62-year-old passenger who traveled by air on May 20, for a flight of greater than 8 hours in length. This passenger traveled from Sidney, Australia through Los Angeles International airport to JFK International Airport. This passenger began to feel ill and required assistance at the JKF airport. This passenger was hospitalized and diagnosed with meningococcal meningitis. From 1999 through 2001 the CDC received 21 reports of air-travel associated meningococcal disease, every 6 weeks on average. The spread of airborne pathogens including Neisseria meningitides, are spread easily in the environment of a Commercial aircraft. (https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5023a2.htm) The CDC created standards
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and protocols for commercial aircraft to follow that includes notification of any persons who become ill within 14 days of travel, and is traveling for 8 hours or longer, due to concerns about exposure while being in close contact for an extended period of time.
Exposure through air travel, migration of refugees, travel for pilgrimages, poor or over crowded living conditions, are all examples where the bacteria was carried back to other regions. (http://www.who.int/wer/2011/wer8647.pdf?ua=1)
b. Discuss the risk factors involved.
Neisseria meningitides is the known bacteria source that is also known as meningococcus.
This severe illness impacts the meninges that are the protective lining of the brain and spinal cord, these become infected and swollen which is referred to as meningitis. Another type of very serious illness is caused by Neisseria meningitdes entering the bloodstream, multiplying, and causing septicemia or bacteremia which results in bleeding into the skin and organs, due to damaged blood vessels. Bacterial meningitis can result in hearing loss, mental disabilities, brain damage. Meningiococcal septicemia can result in hemorrhagic rash and circulatory collapse. With early diagnosis of the disease and immediate, appropriate treatment, 5%-10% of patients die, within 24-48 hours on onset. http://www.who.int/csr/disease/meningococcal/impact/en/) The meningococcus bacteria are contained in secretions of the back of the nose, throat and respiratory tract of the host and are spread through close contact where secretions may be shared as in kissing, coughing, sneezing, sharing eating or drinking utensils, usually through lengthy contact with an infected person or carrier. Living in the same household or within close contact is an increased risk, although these bacteria are not as easy to spread as the common flu or cold. You cannot become infected simply by breathing the same air. The incubation period can range between 2-10 days with an average of 4 days. Within 3-7 days from exposure,
symptoms can begin to appear. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/downloads/mening.pdf.
A combined condition of environment, host and organism is required for an outbreak to occur. Acute respiratory tract infection may be enough to make the host susceptible and act as a contributing factor to the development of the disease. http://www.who.int/csr/resources/publications/meningitis/whoemcbac983.pdf
There is no animal reservoir of Neisseria maningitidis, it only infects humans. Approximately 10-20% of the population, are considered carriers without any signs or symptoms of the disease, at any given time. There are different serogroups. Worldwide are the A, B, C,W,Y serogroups, B,C,Y are the serogroups responsible for illness in the United States. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/downloads/mening.pdf.
The risk factors for exposure increase with over crowding, tobacco smoke active or passive, bar patronage, irregular sleep patterns, sharing of personal items, living in college residence halls, and travel to epidemic areas. Those who are immunocompromised due to persistent compliment component disorder which helps the body fight off infection or those without a properly functioning spleen (asplenia) due to blood disorder or surgical procedure or HIV infected for example are also at higher risk of contamination. Spread of contamination is seen on collage campus, military base, schools, prisons, areas where there are large numbers of population in close contact with one another for extended periods of time. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/downloads/mening.pdf.
and protocols for commercial aircraft to follow that includes notification of any persons who become ill within 14 days of travel, and is traveling for 8 hours or longer, due to concerns about exposure while being in close contact for an extended period of time.
Exposure through air travel, migration of refugees, travel for pilgrimages, poor or over crowded living conditions, are all examples where the bacteria was carried back to other regions. (http://www.who.int/wer/2011/wer8647.pdf?ua=1)
b. Discuss the risk factors involved.
Neisseria meningitides is the known bacteria source that is also known as meningococcus.
This severe illness impacts the meninges that are the protective lining of the brain and spinal cord, these become infected and swollen which is referred to as meningitis. Another type of very serious illness is caused by Neisseria meningitdes entering the bloodstream, multiplying, and causing septicemia or bacteremia which results in bleeding into the skin and organs, due to damaged blood vessels. Bacterial meningitis can result in hearing loss, mental disabilities, brain damage. Meningiococcal septicemia can result in hemorrhagic rash and circulatory collapse. With early diagnosis of the disease and immediate, appropriate treatment, 5%-10% of patients die, within 24-48 hours on onset. http://www.who.int/csr/disease/meningococcal/impact/en/) The meningococcus bacteria are contained in secretions of the back of the nose, throat and respiratory tract of the host and are spread through close contact where secretions may be shared as in kissing, coughing, sneezing, sharing eating or drinking utensils, usually through lengthy contact with an infected person or carrier. Living in the same household or within close contact is an increased risk, although these bacteria are not as easy to spread as the common flu or cold. You cannot become infected simply by breathing the same air. The incubation period can range between 2-10 days with an average of 4 days. Within 3-7 days from exposure,
symptoms can begin to appear. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/downloads/mening.pdf.
A combined condition of environment, host and organism is required for an outbreak to occur. Acute respiratory tract infection may be enough to make the host susceptible and act as a contributing factor to the development of the disease. http://www.who.int/csr/resources/publications/meningitis/whoemcbac983.pdf
There is no animal reservoir of Neisseria maningitidis, it only infects humans. Approximately 10-20% of the population, are considered carriers without any signs or symptoms of the disease, at any given time. There are different serogroups. Worldwide are the A, B, C,W,Y serogroups, B,C,Y are the serogroups responsible for illness in the United States. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/downloads/mening.pdf.
The risk factors for exposure increase with over crowding, tobacco smoke active or passive, bar patronage, irregular sleep patterns, sharing of personal items, living in college residence halls, and travel to epidemic areas. Those who are immunocompromised due to persistent compliment component disorder which helps the body fight off infection or those without a properly functioning spleen (asplenia) due to blood disorder or surgical procedure or HIV infected for example are also at higher risk of contamination. Spread of contamination is seen on collage campus, military base, schools, prisons, areas where there are large numbers of population in close contact with one another for extended periods of time. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/downloads/mening.pdf.