Santa Fe: A girl died of meningitis and prevention measures are dictated

The Ministry of Health confirmed a fatal case of meningitis in the province of Santa Fe. It is a nine-year-old girl living in San Justo who had been admitted to a private sanatorium in the capital city on Tuesday, with a picture compatible with generalized infection. The results of the laboratory samples revealed that the causative agent of this tragedy is the meningococcal bacteria, caused by the bacterium Neisseria meningitidis, known for its ability to trigger serious conditions, such as meningococcemia and meningitis. Due to the case, the Ministry defined a series of prevention actions for the people around it. Preventive measuresFaced with this situation, the health authorities took the following measures:* Prescribe preventive medication (oral or injectable antibiotics) to all family and close contacts to eliminate meningococcal carriers and avoid the appearance of secondary cases.* Indicate alarm guidelines and control by the family doctor in the event of feverish symptoms of the contacts.* Recommend the consultation to those who have been in contact with the patient for a week prior to the onset of symptoms. The province’s Secretary of Health, Andrea Uboldi, said that cases like that of the San Justo girl “are infrequent and with a rapid and fatal evolution.” In addition, he said that his “first piece of advice” for “fathers, mothers and caregivers” is “timely consultation, because just as there is this rare case, for most other cases that this bacteria can produce, if you take your child with a febrile syndrome and treat him, even with severe infections, the prognosis is good.” Finally, Uboldi listed the symptoms to look out for, placing special emphasis on “skin lesions (small red dots) in a febrile child.” Meningococcus is a bacterium that can cause different diseases, including serious conditions such as generalized infection (meningococcemia) and meningitis. In these cases, it usually has an abrupt onset, with fever, chills, malaise, and skin lesions. The progression of the disease is rapid. The only reservoir is human. It is found in the nasopharynx of the population and does not cause disease (carrier status). It is transmitted from person to person, through the respiratory secretions of an asymptomatic carrier or a sick person. Previous viral infections favor its appearance. Meningitis or meningococcal disease diagnosed and treated early can be cured. It is important to consult the nearest health care provider urgently in the presence of fever accompanied by skin blemishes. It is important to remember that there are vaccines available, but the indication depends on the age of the child, the type of meningococcal that is identified.

Original source in Spanish