Meningitis is an inflammation of the meninges that cover the brain and spinal cord.
Depending on the causative agent, bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic meningitis are distinguished.
Meningococcal infections are serious, mostly children's diseases. The highest incidence rate is among children under 1 year of age.
The causative agent of meningococcal infection is meningococcus (Neisseria meningitidis)
The causative agent is transmitted with droplets of mucus during coughing, sneezing, and talking.
Prolonged close contact with an infected carrier contributes to the spread of the disease.
The incubation period lasts 1–10 days and is 4 days on average.
The main preventive measures are:
-early detection and isolation of patients,
-remediation of identified bacterial carriers,
- compliance with the rules of personal hygiene,
-sanitary and educational work among the population,
-restriction of visiting places with a large crowd of people during the period of seasonal increase in morbidity.
Scheduled vaccination against this infection is included in the national vaccination calendars of Belgium, Great Britain, Ireland, Iceland, Spain, the Netherlands, and Germany.
In Ukraine, vaccination against meningococcal infection is recommended. But vaccination against meningococcal infection is an effective way to prevent the development of its dangerous forms and complications.