Virginia health officials have reported that the state is suffering an epidemic of the rare but dangerous meningococcal disease.
Based on the Virginia Department of Health, 27 cases have been found since June 2022, which is three times the expected amount of illnesses during this time period. Five persons have died as a result of the disease’s consequences.
The majority of the patients are Black or African American individuals between the ages of 30 and 60, according to the health department, but no additional information on the patients was provided.
Twenty-six of the 27 patients had not received a meningococcal illness vaccination.
Type Y Neisseria Meningitidis Bacteria On Virginia Outbreak
Infections have been detected in eastern, central, and southwest Virginia, with the majority in the state’s east. As a result, when the outbreak was originally published in September 2022, the government assumed it was a regional outbreak.
Despite the epidemic, experts in Virginia maintain the risk to the general population is low.
In accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, meningococcal disease is an uncommon infection caused by the bacteria Neisseria meningitidis. Most infections are caused by six different types of bacteria, and type Y being responsible for the Virginia outbreak.
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Signs and Symptoms of Meningococcal Disease
Coming into contact with an infected individual’s saliva or spit, such as coughing, kissing, sharing goods, or sneezing near someone’s face, spreads the bacterium. Bacteria can also be transferred by prolonged general contact with an infected individual.
Meningitis, an inflammation of the lining of the brain along with spinal cord, or septicemia, a bloodstream infection, are common complications of the condition.
Indications included a headache, fever, stiffness in the neck, vomiting, nausea, sensitivity to light, as well as a dark purple rash if the sickness entered the circulation.
According to the CDC, meningococcal disease can be difficult to diagnose since many symptoms mimic other infections.
To diagnose the condition, blood or fluid samples near the spinal cord are obtained and sent to a laboratory to be tested for germs.
Meningococcal disease can be treated with antibiotics, but therapy should begin as soon as possible to limit the risk of complications, according to the CDC.
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