Cases of meningitis have risen sharply in recent months in France, a worrying situation for health authorities.
- Public Health France has identified more than 80 cases of meningococcal meningitis.
- Health professionals are sounding the alarm in the face of this high incidence rate.
- Meningococci are bacteria that can cause very serious illnesses such as meningitis or septicemia which can be fatal or leave significant sequelae.
After two years of decline, the number of cases of meningococcal meningitis is on the rise again: this is the worrying observation made by Public Health France.
Meningococcal meningitis has been particularly virulent since this winter
The health authority counted 84 cases in December 2022, an incidence which is at a high level. And the situation is not reassuring since the number of cases has continued to increase since the beginning of 2023 with several outbreaks identified in different regions of France.
“Meningitis is a serious disease, which can cause permanent sequelae and even death.“, explained to AFP doctor Anne-Sophie Ronnaux-Baron, head of the regional health monitoring center at ARS Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. In August 2022, theRegional Health Agency (ARS) launched a major call for vaccination against meningitis in this region, in particular after the census of seventeen cases, including one death, of invasive meningococcal disease.
Another source of contamination was spotted in Alsace, in Strasbourg, last November when young adults had frequented the same night establishment.
The treatment of invasive meningococcal infections is an emergency
There are several types of meningococci, says the Ministry of Health and Prevention. “The most common in France are group B, C, W and Y meningococci. These are bacteria normally present in the throat and nose of many people. These bacteria can be transmitted through the air or through saliva. Meningococcus does not survive in the external environment. Its transmission is human-to-human and requires close (less than 1 meter) and prolonged contact.”.
Meningitis occurs when meningococcus infects the fluid and membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord. Meningococcal septicemia (the most severe form of which is purpura fulminans) is a generalized infection. The meningococcus spreads throughout the body and then causes a generalized infection of the blood and various organs. The state of health deteriorates and red or purplish spots may appear.
“Two symptoms of an invasive meningococcal infection should in particular alert: a poorly tolerated high fever and/or one or more rapidly appearing red or purplish spots (purpura)“, indicates the ministry which recalls that it is a vital emergency. In the slightest doubt, it is necessary to contact urgently the 15th or his attending physician.
