Meningitis is an infection of the envelopes surrounding the brain, meninges, caused by several types of viruses, bacteria, and fungi. Meningococcal meningitis is the major cause of acute meningitis and has a high mortality rate: “Meningococci are the only bacterial species capable of causing meningitis epidemics. It is because of this risk of rapid development and their seriousness that a antibiotic treatment as quickly as possible, ”explains the Institut Pasteur, where a unit, headed by Taha Muhamed-Kheir, is devoting its research to the study of these bacteria.
Meningococcal meningitis usually occurs in infants or teenagers, as was the case in Agen, where a 17-year-old student has just died of type B meningococcal meningitis.
“This peak in incidence among adolescents is probably due to their social behavior,” explains Dr Muhamed-Kheir. “Meningococci are spread by close contact (within a meter) and prolonged by coughing or sneezing. This transmission is therefore particularly active in adolescents, who spend a lot of time in groups, whether in high school or in a nightclub. In addition, there is an annual incidence of meningococcal infections, with a seasonal upsurge in winter and spring. “
When a case of bacterial meningitis occurs in a high school, the health authorities immediately put in place a prevention plan. People who have been in repeated and close contact with the adolescent affected by the disease are examined and a two-day course of antibiotics is prescribed. This treatment can be supplemented by vaccination, in case of meningococcal meningitis type A or C.
