There meningitis “remains a major global public health challenge.” He writes itWorld Health Organization (WHO) on its portal, in a focus in which it takes stock of the impact of the disease on which the spotlight has turned again after the death of the 23-year-old Italian student, Lara Ponticiello, on Erasmus in Berlin. She is a young victim of a pathology which, as the UN health agency explains, can be “devastating”, is characterized by “a high mortality rate” and capable of causing “serious long-term complications”. Epidemics of meningitis are recorded all over the world, the organization recalls. And there are various microorganisms that can cause it: bacteria, viruses, fungi, parasites. Of particular concern to doctors and health authorities, due to its serious impact, is bacterial meningitis: approximately 1 in 6 people who contract this type of meningitis dies, and 1 in 5 presents serious complications, reports the WHO, highlighting that ” the most effective way to provide long-lasting protection” is to resort to existing “vaccines”, which are “affordable and safe”.
What it is, symptoms and risks of meningitis
How does the disease manifest itself and what risks does it entail? Meningitis, experts explain, is the inflammation of the tissues surrounding the brain and spinal cord; it can be fatal, as reported in the news, and requires immediate medical attention. THE most common symptoms they are neck stiffness, fever, confusion or altered mental status, headache, nausea and vomiting. But the clinical characteristics of patients vary depending on the cause, the course of the disease (acute, subacute or chronic), brain involvement (meningoencephalitis) and systemic complications (sepsis). Injuries, tumors and drugs also cause a small number of cases. But bacterial meningitis is the most common dangerous type and can unfortunately lead to death within a short time from the discovery of symptoms, even 24 hours. It affects people of any age. There are effective treatments and vaccines against some of the main bacterial causes, but “meningitis remains a significant threat worldwide”, reiterates the WHO.
The main causes of bacterial meningitis
There are 4 main causes of acute bacterial meningitis: meningococcus (Neisseria meningitidis), pneumococcus (Streptococcus pneumoniae), hemophilus (Haemophilus influenzae), group B streptococcus (Streptococcus agalactiae). These bacteria are responsible for more than half of meningitis deaths globally and cause other serious diseases such as sepsis and pneumonia. Other important causes of meningitis are also other bacteria such as Mycobacterium tuberculosis, salmonella, listeria, streptococci and staphylococcus, but also viruses such as enterovirus and mumps, and fungi (especially cryptococcus) and parasites such as amoeba.
Who is at risk
Who is at risk? Small children, certainly, but not only. Newborns are at greater risk of group B streptococcus, children of meningococcus, pneumococcus and Haemophilus influenzae. Adolescents and young adults are at particular risk for meningococcal disease, and older adults are at particular risk for pneumococcal disease.
In Italy, a national surveillance of invasive bacterial diseases was activated in 2007. According to the latest data, compared to the two-year period 2020-2021 (in which there was a reduction thanks to the anti-Covid measures), in 2022 there was an increase in the number of reports of haemophilia, pneumococcus and, to a lesser extent, from meningococcal disease (particularly in the last trimester). Overall, a typical seasonal trend was observed for the 3 pathogens, with a greater number of cases reported during the winter period, as highlighted on the Epicentro portal of the Higher Institute of Health (ISS). In 2022, the incidence in Italy of cases of invasive disease caused by the 3 pathogens was equal to 0.1 cases/100,000 inhabitants for meningococcus, 1.74 for pneumococcus and 0.32 for haemophilus. In the first half of 2023, according to the interim report published by the ISS, a total of 1,268 cases were recorded in the country, including invasive diseases caused by N. meningitidis (48), S. pneumoniae (930), H. influenzae (177) and meningitis from other bacteria.
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