Fresh cases of meningococcal disease have been detected. What are the symptoms? And who can be vaccinated?

Two women from Tasmanians have been hospitalized Invasive meningococcal diseaseReferring the number of cases at the national level so far 48. Health authorities call People to observe symptoms and check whether they are eligible for vaccination.

An invasive meningococcal disease is a uncommon but life -threatening disease caused by bacteria Neisseria meningitidis. Invasive means that the infection quickly spreads through the blood and to your organs.

Early emergency medical care is essential for survival and reduce the risk of long -term complications. Even with those who experience up to 30% suffer indefinite cognitive, physical or mental disability.

Fortunately, vaccines are available to protect against it.

How do you catch it?

About one in ten people wear meningococcal bacteria in the nose or throat.

Bacteria do not easily go from person to person, breathing the same air or dividing drinks or food – and bacteria will not survive well outside the human body.

It spreads through close and extended contact with oral and breathing secretions, such as saliva, from other living in your house or through deep, intimate kisses.

There is no way to find out if you wear bacteria because carriers have no symptoms.

Who is the most threatened?

Meningococcal disease can affect anyone.

But infants under one, teenage people and teenage adults aged 15-25, and people without spleen or immunosuppressive are more threatened with the development of invasive disease.

Notifications of meningococcal diseases by age and gender

Although sensitive to common antibiotics, such as penicillin, meningococcal bacteria can cause severe infection and death within a few hours. The difficulty of early collection of meningococcal disease is that at the beginning it can imitate joint viral diseases, after which people recover without any treatment.

Most people experience A sudden start of fever, difficulty looking at the lithe and/or rash. The rash is not a blank, which means that it does not disappear when you put pressure on it. But at the beginning of the disease, he can start by blanching the rash, which disappears with pressure.

Teenage babies can also become sensitive, have difficulty awakening or refusing to feed.

Bacteria usually cause meningitis – lining around the brain and spinal cord – or blood infection, called sepsis or sepsis. But sometimes it can cause bone, pneumonia (pneumonia) or eye inflammation (conjunctivitis).

Protection against various strains

There are 13 types of meningococcal bacteria that cause invasive disease, but types A, B, C, W and Y cause the greatest disease.

Speedy progression of the disease occurs because bacteria have a sugar capsule that allows it to avoid the immune system.

But each of the 13 types has its own unique capsule. So resistance to one strain does not offer resistance to other strains.

Currently, Two types of vaccines They are available: a vaccine that protects against meningococci A, C, W i y (manaches); And another vaccine that protects against meningococci B.

Vaccines are produced differently and therefore have different protection mechanisms.

The manhole vaccine uses parts of the sugar capsule in each of the bacteria and combine them with protein. This is called “coupled vaccine” and allows for a better immune response, especially in teenage infants.

The MENB vaccine does not contain sugar capsule, but contains four other proteins from the surface of meningococcal bacteria B.

Both vaccines are registered for All people aged six months and olderAnd they are protected for people with reduced immunity.

Manhigans vaccine

The manhole vaccine is financed under the national vaccination program and served for free for all infants at the age of 12 months. There is also a free program for catching up for teenagers in 10.

Menacwy vaccine protects against diseases and It also reduces the burden of bacteria in the throatreducing the likelihood of transmission to others.

Vaccine vaccine

MENB vaccine recommended for all infants at the age of six weeks or longer. But it is only available for free for babies South Australia AND Queenslandthrough state programs and for babies of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islander throughout the country, through the national vaccination program.

Parents of non -birth babies in other states will pay around USD 220-270 for two doses of Menb vaccine.

The Menb vaccine vaccine is highly protective against invasive disease for a person who receives a vaccine. But that’s it does not eliminate bacteria It does not reduce the spread of bacteria on others from the throat.

Reduction of meningococcal disease

Other people who are exposed to meningococcal exhibition are also recommended for vaccinations: people without a functional spleen, people with some resistance conditionssome travelers and some Laboratory employees.

From Introduction of a conjugated Menc vaccine in 2001 and mentees in 2018The indicators of the invasive meningococcal disease have dropped dramatically 684 cases In 2002, up to 136 cases in 2024. The most common strain causing the disease is currently meningococcal B.

Meningococcal notifications according to jurisdiction

Another reason why adults will be vaccinated

It has also been shown that the Menb vaccine reduces the indicator of another bacterial infection, gonorrhea, by 33–47%. This is due to the fact that gonococcal bacteria are closely related and have similar surface protein structures to meningococcal bacteria.

In Australia, they have gonorrhea rates has doubled in the last ten years With Higher rates Among teenage people of Aborigines and Islander Torres.

Northern territory He started offering the vaccine For people aged 14 to 19 last year as part of a research.

Further research is underway in Australia To better understand meningococcal bacteria, its ability to avoid the immune system and cross protection against gonorrhea.