Recently, in Ho Chi Minh City, there was a woman (52 years old, in Binh Chanh) died from meningococcal encephalitis.Patients were hospitalized in a state of shock due to meningococcal brain, rash.

Death after a few hours of hospitalization

The female patient was transferred to the Hospital of Tropical Diseases (Ho Chi Minh City) in the state of rapid breathing, skin bleeding in the form of map spreading the whole body, necrosis some positions on the body.One day earlier, patients with fever, chills and pain in the morning, in the afternoon of the same day appear purple pink rash from the arm spread to the whole body.Immediately after the emergency hospitalization, patients were actively resuscitated, mechanical breathing, dialysis, antibiotic use, vascular drugs, diagnosed with meningococcal encephalitis.However, severe condition, the patient died after 6 hours of hospitalization.

Through epidemiological investigation, the Ho Chi Minh City Disease Control Center (HCDC) has identified two close contacts (patient's family members).Both have no suspected symptoms, are being monitored, preventive antibiotics, monitoring at home.In addition to implementing measures to handle and prevent infectious diseases as prescribed, HCDC has also activated the process of sharing disease information between regional linking provinces to coordinate epidemiological investigation.

In mid -June, the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases (Hanoi) received treatment for two patients, the father and son, from Bac Kan province, due to meningococcal meningitis and blood infection.Earlier, the two relatives in this family died with the same symptoms.The first is a girl (22 months old), a high fever, headache, continuously loose stool, accompanied by a bleeding rash in the knee and the back spread to the whole body, drowsiness, poor eating.Despite being actively treated, the baby did not survive.Three days later, the baby's mother also had high fever, went loose stools many times with the hemorrhage.She was hospitalized and treated at Bac Kan General Hospital and died after a few hours.

According to the Hanoi Department of Health, in the area also recorded the first meningococcal case of meningococcal encephalitis in 2024. It was a male patient, 22 years old, onset with symptoms of sore throat, poor eating and fever, with fever, withThe cold.Two days later, the patient appeared with a whole body convulsions, in a loss of consciousness, an unconscious urination, a high fever, hard -working, hard nape ...

Easy to confuse with other illnesses

According to doctors, meningococcal disease is an acute bacterial infection (neisseria meningitidis), common in young people and is likely to cause large epidemics.The disease transmitted through respiratory tract is mainly through direct contact with the source of the disease due to the inhalation of nasal, pharynx, throat shot (patients and healthy people).In particular, a group of high-risk subjects is children under 5 years old, adolescents from 14-20 years old are studying and living in crowded areas (kindergartens, schools, apartments ...Immunodeficiency.

The meningococcal brain bacteria in the wild is in humans, so the source of the disease is mostly patients and good people carrying bacteria.This is one of the 10 infectious diseases with the highest mortality rate in Vietnam with the cases recorded every year.The disease is dangerous because of the very fast development, even in 24-48 hours from the beginning of the first symptom that can kill a healthy person.Patients may also face severe sequelae such as gangrene, deafness, paralysis, intellectual retardation, kidney damage and psychological problems.The meningococcal brain bacteria enter the human body through the nose and throat, thereby spreading into the bloodstream causing blood infection or to the meninges causing meningitis.People with meningococcal meningococcal rhinitis often have a fever of 38-39 degrees Celsius, the fever lasts 1-7 days ... accompanied by a manifestation of a headache, burning throat, runny nose.

Dr. Tran Quang Dai, Vaccination Clinic - National Tropical Hospital, said that meningococcal encephalitis is not a rare disease but has very serious consequences.Meningococcal encephalitis is an acute infectious disease that is often difficult to diagnose early and progress rapidly.The disease occurs suddenly with symptoms of fever, severe headache, nausea and vomiting, stiff neck, often with star -shaped hemorrhage or may have blisters.Patients often drowsiness or coma.There are cases of sudden expression of expression, the appearance of bleeding and shock.For typical cases that often show signs such as fever, nausea or vomiting, anorexia, sore throat;For typical cases, there is often a hemorrhage, stiff neck, fear of light ...

According to Dr. Do Thien Hai, Deputy Director of Tropical Diseases Center - National Hospital of Pediatrics, meningococcal meningitis is difficult to diagnose in the early stage.In many cases, the family members were hospitalized when they appeared to death, convulsions, coma, then were late to medical intervention.The reason is because the disease progresses very quickly, but the initial symptoms are only like some common, not specific diseases such as fever, sore throat, nausea, etc.Virus fever.Therefore, ordinary people are subjective, choose to care and treat at home rather than visit the medical facility."Therefore, as soon as you see the children have symptoms such as fever, headache, fatigue, vomiting, stiff neck, tinnitus, fear of light ... Need to think of meningitis and let the child go to the examination.Timely " - Dr. Hai recommends.

According to epidemiological experts, meningococcal meningitis can be cured if detected early, treated promptly, on the right regimen.If children appear late symptoms, such as convulsions, coma ... then the brain has been affected, can leave many serious sequelae, even death."In order to prevent disease, people need to perform well the personal hygiene, accommodation, masks when exposed or cared for patients, prevent drugs and vaccine to prevent disease. Parents need children for childrenProcessing the vaccine is sufficient and scheduled. Usually after 3 injections in the first 2 years of life, children need to be reminded of the nose after 3-5 years later, until the age of 16 "-an expert noted.