A 28-year-old young man from a hamlet near Grasse, in the Alpes-Maritimes, died overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday meningitis C, indicated the Regional Health Agency (ARS) of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur. As a preventive measure, the forty people who reside in the same hamlet will receive antibiotic treatment and be vaccinated against meningococcus C.
A bacteria that is transmitted through saliva
Meningococcus C is a very fragile bacterium which does not survive in the external environment. It colonizes the throat of some people and is transmitted through droplets of saliva during close contact (less than a meter) between the carrier of this bacteria and another person.
But sometimes the bacteria cross the nasopharyngeal mucosa to reach the bloodstream. This then leads to a serious infection called “invasive” (meningitis or septicemia) which can be fatal, as was the case for this young man from Grasse.
Read also :
How to recognize meningitis?
Meningitis: what is the risk for teens?
