Personal Health

Suspected meningococcal disease: three-year-old girl, probably of blood poisoning died

At the front door of the daycare center “Pirolino” in the Dresden district of Cotta, a poster is stuck since Tuesday. “Attention! In our facility meningococcal disease has occurred-Meningitis”, is written there. As on Wednesday it became known, has infected a three-year-old girl with the dangerous bacteria. According to the city, which is the carrier of the device, it was last Friday, still in the nursery. On the weekend, the deterioration in the condition of the Small but rapidly. She died, therefore, on Monday in the children’s clinic at the University hospital of the Saxon capital. Whether the child is, in fact, died of a meningococcal infection, which is still being investigated.

“Don’t know, whether it is meningitis”

“Due to the severe disease progression, we must assume that the girl died of meningococcal Sepsis,” says Jens Heimann, head of the Department of health of Dresden. Prof. Reinhard Berner, head of the paediatric clinic, could not confirm the suspicion initially. “We don’t know if it was meningitis,” says Berner, compared to “Day 24”. First Tests have confirmed the causative agent. Currently, values of other laboratory samples. In order to protect the approximately 150 children and 24 teachers of the kindergarten “Pirolino”, is currently running a antibiotic prophylaxis. As the health announced office, you need to take all of the 37 nursery children for two days of antibiotics as a juice or sugar-coated tablets.

Most recently, it was established in November 2018, also at a Dresden nursery for a little girl to a brain skin inflammation. Then, too, were given to the contact persons for preventive antibiotics. The girl survived.

Background: What is meningococcal disease anyway?

Scheduled mandatory measles vaccination

So many people would seem to be revaccinated if vaccination comes

Meningococcal bacteria are transmitted through direct and close contact by droplets in the Coughs or Sneezing. Also, when you Cuddle, Kiss or Play with close physical contact and can be transmitted from person to person. About ten percent of the European population carry the germ in their nose and throat without developing signs of the disease. Dangerous germs because they can cause a life-threatening meningitis or blood poisoning. Professionals in Germany per year, of about 700 by meningococci out disorders triggered. Are affected, therefore, especially infants in the first year of life, but also small children under five years and adolescents between 15 and 19 years.

Meningococcal disease: symptoms and prevention

The time between infection and the first symptoms to give a physician in the case of meningococci, with an average of three to four days. In the case of a brain skin inflammation, patients suffer initially under a high fever, vomiting, chills, and joint and muscle pain. A typical sign is the so-called neck stiffness. To blood poisoning when the bacteria get into the bloodstream and the body formally with toxins flood. Doctors then speak of a Sepsis.

The Standing Committee on vaccination of the Robert Koch-Institute (StiKo) recommends parents to protect their children after the first birthday with a basic immunization against meningococcus serotype C. A vaccine against the 70 percent of the most frequently encountered serotype B was approved in 2013 by the EU Commission, is not used in Germany but.

Sources: “Day 24”, Robert-Koch-Institute