What every parent needs to know!

Meningitis – a word most parents fear. However, it is a well known fact that New Zealand is in the grip of a 13-year meningitis epidemic which has killed over 220 people and affected many more. As parents, what do you need to know? What should you be looking out for and who can you go to for support and information?

Although teenagers and children under five years of age are most at risk, meningitis can affect anyone and making people aware of what meningitis is and how to identify the signs and symptoms is vital in the battle against it.

What is meningitis?

Meningitis is inflammation of the linings surrounding the brain and can be caused by bacteria, viruses or fungi (bacterial and viral being more common and fungal meningitis being very rare as it is caused by an amoeba).

Types of meningitis

Viral Meningitis

Viral meningitis is the most prevalent, but is rarely life threatening. Just like colds, this type of meningitis does not response to antibiotics. Viral meningitis can cause depression, memory loss, fatigue and severe headaches.

Amoebic Meningitis (fungal)

Amoebic meningitis can be caught by putting your head under water in geothermal pools. It’s caused by an amoeba (Naeglaria fowleri), a tiny organism that lives in these waters. The disease is very serious and nearly always causes death. This type of meningitis can not be passed on from person to person.

How to enjoy geothermal pools and reduce your risk:

·         Keep your head above water at all times

·         Choose geothermal pools that comply with the New Zealand Standard for Swimming Pool Water Quality. These pools are chlorinated and the water is filtered. There is also a constant flow of new water into the pool.

Bacterial Meningitis

Bacterial meningitis, on the other hand, can prove to be fatal and requires urgent treatment with antibiotics. It is predominantly caused by meningococcal bacteria but can be caused by pneumococcal, Hib and TB bacteria. There are a number of different strains of meningococcal bacteria (A, B, C, W135 and Y) but in New Zealand it is a strain of meningococcal B that accounts for up to 90% of all meningitis cases.

Since 1991 there have been 5,600 cases of the disease and over 220 fatalities, with numbers increasing as the weeks go by. Meningitis and meningococcal disease kill, sometimes in a matter of hours. With up to 700 new cases each year, up to 4% will die and over 20% will be left with longterm effects such as having to have a limb amputated, loss of hearing and vision impairment. Knowing what to look for is critical as early identification can save someone’s life.

How is meningococcal disease caught?
People often carry the meningococcal bacteria harmlessly in their nose and throat without getting ill. As many as two out of every 10 people may carry the bacteria in their throat. This figure can sometimes be as high as five in every 10 in specific communities.

The bacteria (meningococci) can be spread by close contact with someone who is carrying it, usually without causing any discernable harm. Close contact means:

·         Living in the same household

·         Sleeping in the same room

·         Attending the same preschool (for more than just a few hours a week)

·         Kissing

·         Sharing spit – from whistles, chewing gum etc.

·         Sharing food, drink or utensils

As the bacteria can be spread by close contact with others, particularly through coughing, sneezing, kissing, or sharing eating or drinking utensils, it is therefore important to teach your children to cover their mouths when coughing or sneezing and not to share utensils, food or drink bottles. The good news is that the bacteria can only survive for a matter of seconds outside of the body so do not live long in the air or on objects.