Meningitis “puts fire” in the Patriot Carnival – Chemistry protection to 5,000 students

On alert are the EODY steps ahead of him, after the outbreak in Patras. EODY’s stairwells “scan” Patras and grant antibiotic chemoprophylaxis for meningitis on a wide scale to prepare for the Patriot Carnival. The cases of meningococcal disease in students at the University of Patras, which constitute “extreme” according to the EOPI, have led the competent health authorities to the decision to take drastic measures, on the occasion of the Patriot Carnival. The EODY in collaboration with the University of Patras will grant chemoprophylaxis, i.e. medication to about 5,000 students! Deputy Minister of Health, Irini Pavlidaki, announced that preventive prophylactic treatment against meningitis II is expected to receive, not only 3,000 people as originally announced, but much more. The aim is to reduce the likelihood of new cases, due to the overcrowding of Carnival, as he said: “This is the goal. And if we have to, we’ll give you more. Why are we doing this? To reduce the stretcher. To reduce the possibility of more people getting sick. In the close contacts of these cases, apart from chemoprophylaxis, vaccination will also be given,” he stressed on Tuesday night (12.03). 24) in Action 24. The total 14 cases of bacterial meningitis within just 1.5 months detected throughout the country, while the entire last year 23 cases had been detected, have set the authorities on alert. Carnival events are a “opportunity” for the germ to expand. “We are doing these actions to reduce the stretcher, so to have protection for the whole population and not just for people who were close contacts of these cases. Meningitis is not transmitted like COVID with air. It does not survive in the environment so it makes no sense to disinfect. The important thing is to avoid close contact”, stresses Mrs. Meningitococcus B: “Attention to kisses and close contacts” Just as the Deputy Health Minister said, meningitiscocci does not survive in the environment. Transmission is done by direct contact from person to person with drops of respiratory secretions. “So how can it get stuck? With the kiss, and we must be very vigilant about the symptoms. Measures for Carnival have not yet been taken based on data. We should talk based on the data we have so far. The EODY has not even put such a thing on us,” she stressed. The period of communicability of meningitococcus is the entire period during which it is found in saliva and rhinopharyngeal secretions, up to 24 hours after effective antimicrobial therapy is initiated. Penicillin given in these cases, temporarily suppresses micro-organisms but does not eliminate them in rhinopharyngeal secretions. In closed populations, as are students living in student homes, during epidemics the rate of charge reaches 100%. The risk of secondary infection is calculated in 2-4 cases per 1000 members of the close family environment. This risk is 500-1000 times greater than that of the general population, says the EOIM. Mrs. Irini Pavlidakis transfers the recommendations of the scientists of the EODY, with whom she is in close contact: “Fever rash, go straight to the doctor. And avoid close contact, for example, with people who are sick or have a rash and fever. Meningitis doesn’t stick if we’re in the same room for 10 minutes. It requires more time and close contact,” he points out. “Not at parties – Attention to symptoms” The same categorical was a few days ago, and the Professor of Pathology of Lpoemoxiology, Sotiris Tsiodras, who stressed that those who show symptoms (severe, severe headache, stiff neck and photophobia) and especially students who crowd in bars and parties, should stay at home and contact a doctor. “Anyone who has symptoms goes to the doctor and is isolated. She doesn’t go to parties and gatherings. Like we did in the COVID-19 period. It’s simple,” he said at a press conference on the occasion of the 23rd conference of the Greek Society of Infections that took place in the previous days in Athens. The health of the 20-year-old student has improved significantly the health of the 20-year-old student of the Department of Mechanical and Mechanical Engineering of the University of Patras, who is the third victim of meningodococcus type II. According to his doctors he is expected to be discharged from the University Hospital of Patras. Any day now he’ll be transferred to a Pathological Clinic chamber. Hospital commander Dimitris Bakos reported to the newspaper Peloponnese: “It’s very good news about his health and everything shows that the third student will be doing very well,” thanking all the health personnel who cared for all three students. “The whole team, Mrs. Fleegu, Mr. Marangos and all the other medical specialties, as well as our nursing staff managed to save their lives. The first student has been discharged and the second student is still hospitalized in the Clinic,” added Mr. Bakos. The coverage of the exact vaccine by insurance funds It is worth noting that all scientists agree that while Greece’s epidemiological picture of meningococcal disease was not considered to be burdened to date (in 2023 23 cases had occurred), the 14 cases identified in just two months since the beginning of the year are now a worrying outbreak. So the National Committee on Vaccination has opened the debate and there is a positive recommendation from scientists to the state to cover the exact vaccine (costs between 80 and 100 euros per dose) from insurance funds to certain groups of the population, such as very young children, aged up to 1 year. By Gianna Soulaki / Source: iatropedia.gr