Dr Byan Betty: Chair of General Practice NZ on meningitis, what is it and what to do about it?

<p><span><strong>What is it?</strong></span><span> </span></p> <ul> <li><span>Serious infection of blood or brain (meningitis)</span><span></span></li> <li><span>Can lead to very severe disease or even death.</span><span></span></li> <li><span>Caused by a bacteria called meningococcal. - 15% of us carry it in our nose and throat and it doesn’t harm us.</span><span></span></li> <li><span>For reasons we don’t understand it can occasionally transmit to others and cause the disease.  </span><span></span></li> </ul> <p><span><strong>Who gets it?</strong></span><span> </span></p> <ul> <li><span>Peak those under 5, and teenagers/young adults up to 25</span><span></span></li> <li><span>High risk are young adults moving into halls of residence – university or boarding school</span><span></span></li> <li><span>We don’t understand why some get the disease. Bug doesn’t survive long outside the nose or throat – thought spread close contact kissing, eating utensils, sneezing.</span><span></span></li> </ul> <p><span><strong>How do you recognise it?</strong></span><span> </span></p> <ul> <li><span>Often starts with temp, vomiting or muscle/joint pian like any other illness.</span><span></span></li> <li><span>However, it can worsen every very rapidly without warning – severe headache, stiff neck, drowsiness, rash – serious requires urgent medical attention.</span><span></span></li> <li><span>It is rare, however can happen out of the blue with little or no warning.</span><span></span></li> </ul> <p><span><strong>What to do about it?</strong></span><span> </span></p> <ul> <li><span>Antibiotics can cure if get early enough</span><span></span></li> <li><span>However only real protection immunisation.</span><span></span></li> <li><span>Under-fives now have a meningitis vaccine in immunisation schedule</span><span></span></li> <li><span>13- to 25-year-olds: moving to halls of residence, boarding school can get a free immunisations for the main types of meningitis.</span><span></span></li> <li><span>As parents t