The Ministry of Health of the Sverdlovsk Region reported that the number of Ozone workers hospitalized in Yekaterinburg for meningococcal increased to eight. It has been reported TASS.
The condition of those taken to the hospital is evaluated as good.
June 6 recognized reported that two people died after contracting a meningococcal infection in the city. At first, it was reported that one of the seven sick workers of the ozone sorting center died. His colleagues, who stayed with him in the hostel, were later hospitalized. The cause of death of the second worker is under investigation.
Meningococci differ – from safe to mild discomfort and actually the worst – meningitis with a high mortality rate. Asymptomatic carriers of this microbe constitute 5-10% of the population. In closed communities such as barracks and hostels, 50-80% can be carriers. This is because the bacterium is transmitted through droplets and close contact contributes to its spread.
“Infection requires close contact, the easiest way to get meningococcus is by kissing. When shaking hands, transmission is unlikely unless the person has blown their nose on their hands before. It is not possible for meningococci to be transmitted through parcels,
– The leading researcher of the center “socialbites.ca” explained. Gamalei Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor Natalya Kostyukova, who has been studying this infection all her life.
The incidence of meningococcal meningitis among children of the first two years of life is quite high, reaching ten in 100 thousand people. This is because the antibodies that the child receives from the mother are weakened. In most cases, the transmission of meningococci in adults does not lead to the development of meningitis.
“Too big” epidemic for Russia
“Ten cases is a huge epidemic for Russia and this could have huge consequences, because there has been no meningococcal epidemic in our country since 1996. Prior to that, there was a massive entry of infections into the USSR in 1968. It was brought to China by the Vietnamese who had meningococcal disease, resulting in hundreds of cases. Then we did not get rid of this skid until 1996,” said Natalya Kostyukova.
According to Kostyukova, this epidemic requires urgent measures, which are detailed in the instructions of the doctors. One of these measures is the urgent analysis of the species that caused the epidemic. It is important which genetic line it belongs to, whether there is antibiotic resistance or not.
According to Academician Alexander Gintsburg, Head of the Gamaleya Center, people who may be infected with meningococcus need to take antibiotics first.
“In all this I am concerned about the antibiotic resistance of strains isolated from patients,” says Academician Gunzburg, head of the Gamaleya Center. “This is very important. Those who have been infected and died have not been vaccinated. And those who come into contact with them are carriers and potential victims. They urgently need to be “fed” with antibiotics. But what? To do this, you need to know the sensitivity of the meningococcal strain to antibiotics.
Is it worth getting vaccinated?
When it comes to vaccination, Kostyukova said, since all vaccines work against certain strains, you must first determine the specific strain of meningococcus.
“We only have our own vaccine against meningococcal A – these are the most dangerous. But not from other species.
There is also an alien Menacra effective against the four species. A new type X has recently appeared, there is also a vaccine for it, but it is not licensed in the Russian Federation, ”Kostyukova explained.
He believes that vaccination “blindly” will not lead to anything.
But even if someone has recently had the meningococcal vaccine, it’s not a fact that the vaccine will work if the strain matches, Pavel Volchkov, an immunologist and head of the MIPT Genomic Engineering Laboratory, told socialbites.ca.
“The meningococcal vaccine is a preventative measure, and if a person gets a high dose of the pathogen from a carrier, then it won’t work. Therefore, even those who have recently been vaccinated should be careful.
But the meningococcal vaccine is not included in our children’s vaccination calendar, so we can say with certainty that there is no immunity to this infection in the Russian population. Although it cannot be ruled out that in the natural environment some people may encounter this infection and have antibodies, ”Volchkov said.
The head of the Gamaleya Center Günzburg also explained how this epidemic can be prevented.
“The epidemic could have been prevented if it had been the National Serum Bank, which we have been talking about for a long time to open at various levels.
Because meningococcus is a classical anthroponosis and circulates in the human population, antibodies against it need to be created. And given the number of people who have these antibodies, this outbreak was predictable. An analysis for the presence of meningococcal antibodies can warn doctors 2-3 months in advance of such an outbreak. It will also be possible to carry out preventive vaccination,” Academic Gunzburg said in an interview with socialbites.ca.