Bnei Brak: A three-year-old girl was infected with the meningococcal bacteria – she is in a serious condition

A three-year-old toddler was admitted to Schneider Hospital after she was suspected of contracting the deadly meningococcal bacteria. She was rushed to the hospital during resuscitation efforts, and is now hospitalized in isolation in the intensive care unit in critical condition. The Ministry of Health has launched an investigation to find possible contacts in order to provide preventive antibiotic treatment to those exposed to the bacteria. The hospital said that her condition is now stable.

Meningococcus is a bacterium found in the throat of healthy children, and up to 20 percent of them may carry it without developing disease. Rarely, the bacterium can cause serious illness in two main forms: meningococcemia – in which the bacterium spreads to the blood and from there to other organs, or meningitis – inflammation of the meninges.

The bacterium mainly attacks children, with over 50 percent of cases appearing at the age of two, but it may also appear in adults. The current case in Israel was apparently caused by a virulent strain of the bacterium, which is in the meningococcal group B, against which there is no vaccine.

Meningococcus often begins with symptoms of the upper respiratory system such as a runny nose and mild cough accompanied by high fever. Sometimes the disease is accompanied by a bluish-red blotchy rash on the skin, which does not disappear with light pressure. The bacterium may also cause damage to the nervous system, lead to a decrease in the state of consciousness and cause convulsions.

The deadly bacteria can cause meningitis, a phenomenon that can lead to death in 5 to 15 percent of patients. Even the patients who recover may suffer from permanent brain and nerve damage. In the case of meningococcemia, where the bacterium has entered the blood, organ failure, uncontrollable bleeding due to clotting problems, damage to the heart muscle and even rapid death within a few hours are possible.

The bacterium is highly contagious and is transmitted through direct contact with saliva or nasal fragments. Even a single cough or sneeze can transmit the bacteria from person to person. Because of this, patients who are suspected of being carriers of the bacteria are immediately transferred to hospital isolation.

The diagnosis includes a doctor’s examination and sometimes a procedure called “full sepsis investigation”, which includes blood, urine and spinal fluid tests. In cases where bacterial infection is suspected, the child will be transferred to isolation and will receive intravenous antibiotic treatment for several days, until final results are received from the laboratory.

The Ministry of Health recommends preventive treatment with antibiotics for people who have come into contact with a diagnosed patient. The treatment lasts only two days and is designed to reduce the risk of developing the disease.

In Israel there is a vaccine called “Bexero” that is given at the age of two months, four months and one and a half years. He is not yet in the routine of vaccinations in a drop of milk. Children’s organizations around the world recommend that parents vaccinate their children with the life-saving component. You can get vaccinated under a doctor’s prescription, purchasing the vaccine privately at a cost of about one hundred shekels per dose. The vaccine must be brought refrigerated to the clinic nurse at the checkout for the injection for the baby.