How is meningitis transferred? How dangerous is meningitis infection?

08.08.2020

Meningitis - a dangerous contagious disease. It affects the soft tissue of the brain and can enter the cerebrospinal fluid. The disease is quite difficult and sometimes leads to extremely unpleasant consequences. It is much easier to prevent it than to cure it. And for that, it doesn't hurt to know how meningitis is transmitted and follow all appropriate preventive measures.

How can meningitis be spread from person to person?

In most cases, the cause of the disease is harmful microorganisms. The main routes of transmission of meningitis can be as follows:

Infants are susceptible to infection. In some cases, the disease is transmitted from mother to baby, even when the woman in labor does not have pronounced symptoms. At risk are children born as a result of caesarean section.
Airborne droplets are one of the most common. Microorganisms leave the sick body with a cough, during a sneeze and even when talking.
Another way meningitis is transmitted is oral-fecal.
It is undesirable to use the things of the infected - the ailment can be picked up by contact-household means.
It is better not to contact the patient's blood.

Ways of infection with purulent meningitis

The purulent form of the disease is caused by meningococci. Such meningitis is transmitted by airborne droplets, with saliva during a kiss, through objects that have gotten pathogens, with blood and during sex, as well as during pregnancy and childbirth.

Contact with meningococcus alone is not enough for infection to occur. There should be a decrease in local or general immunity.

How is viral and bacterial meningitis transmitted?

Enteroviruses are often the cause. Infection with them can occur both by airborne droplets and by household contact. Get sick in a pool, lake, or others water bodies succeed by a few, and yet sometimes such cases are stated.

The bacteria that cause the bacterial form of the disease can live in the nasopharynx for several years. They begin to harm only when they penetrate into the bloodstream, and from there into the meninges or cerebrospinal fluid. Dangerous microorganisms are transmitted through saliva or mucus.

How is tuberculous meningitis spread?

Tuberculous meningitis is to blame. It can only be infected through blood or through liquorogenic distribution.

Meningitis is an inflammatory process that is almost always triggered by an infectious agent in the membrane covering the brain. Not all microbes can cause this disease, but only those viruses, bacteria, fungi or protozoa that are particularly aggressive towards the structures of the central nervous system.

Bacterial meningitis: how can you get infected?

Such an inflammatory process is more common than a viral one, is more severe and more likely to leave behind various consequences. Depending on the routes of infection, there are two types:

1) Primary, most often caused by meningococcus, less often by pneumococcus, or In this case, the microbe that caused the disease gets to a person (most often children) by airborne droplets from:

Bacteria carrier, that is, completely in which the bacterium "lives" in the nasopharynx;

5) Some viruses can cross the placenta or when passing through the birth canal, causing illness in newborn babies.

6) Other viruses are transmitted to humans by the bite of insects and arthropods.

Fungal meningitis: how can you get infected?

This type of disease rarely occurs in people with healthy immune systems. If it is found that it is the fungus that caused the disease, you need to donate blood for the determination of antibodies to HIV, and if this test is negative (and the person did not undergo chemotherapy and does not treat a systemic disease with hormones), it is necessary to examine the immunogram.

The incubation period for adults is different: it all depends on which microbe caused the disease. Usually, from infection to the appearance of the first symptoms, it takes from two to ten days (on average, 5-7 days).

How to protect yourself from meningitis?

Compliance with basic hygiene rules.
Do not use shared utensils and toothbrushes.
Do not swallow water from the pond while swimming.
Teach the child not to communicate with coughing, sneezing people and those who complain of fever. Wear a mask if necessary.
Do not drink unboiled water and milk, look at the expiration dates of the products.

Because there are many different types of disease, vaccinations for meningitis include:

1. mumps, rubella, haemophilus influenzae - these are vaccines that are mandatory for all children.

2. Vaccinations against meningococcus and pneumococcus are additional protection. If a child is often sick, is registered with a neurologist, then it is advisable, before you take him to kindergarten, to consult with an infectious disease specialist about the need to get such a vaccination.

Vaccinations have not been invented against other types of microbes that can cause meningitis, so it is very important to learn how to follow all the above rules to prevent this disease.

Pathogenic microflora enters the body and causes various disorders. By itself, inflammation of the meninges is not transmitted from person to person, but the patient can become a source of infection with pathogenic microorganisms that cause meningitis, such as meningococcus bacteria or Haemophilus influenzae, mycobacterium tuberculosis, enterovirus or mumps virus.

The disease develops in the tissues of the meninges. Damages the brain if left untreated. The consequences of meningitis are septic shock, deafness, epilepsy, paresis, paralysis, hydrocephalus, ischemic stroke, which develops in 25% of cases in adult patients. It is worth noting the violation of mental activity and mental retardation in children.

In 10% of cases, the disease of bacterial etiology is fatal. Every 5th sick child under the age of 5 dies. Due to the severe consequences, many people are interested in the topic of how meningitis is infected. To find out what it is, how children and adults get sick, you need to get an idea of \u200b\u200bthe mechanism of development of pathology. Distinguish between serous and purulent. Typical symptoms:

Headache, sometimes excruciating, unbearable.
An increase in body temperature above 38.5 ° C.
Nausea, vomiting.
Clouding of consciousness.
Stiffness of the muscles located in the neck.
Photophobia, sensitivity to noise.
Damage to the central nervous system, which is expressed in a violation of visual function (loss of visual fields, decreased visual acuity), anisocoria (different sizes of pupils), neuritis of the facial and trigeminal nerve.

In the case of severe lesions of the meninges of the brain, convulsions and psychomotor agitation are observed, alternating with periods of lethargy. The appearance of hallucinations, delirium is possible. In children, the fontanelle is enlarged, there are often nonspecific symptoms: drowsiness, nervousness. Depending on the type of pathogen, the symptoms are supplemented with specific signs.

With tuberculous meningitis, general weakness, difficulty urinating, hypertension of the skin appear, with serous viral - a disorder of the digestive system and respiratory catarrh, with bacterial - symptoms of Brudzinsky, Kernig, hemorrhagic exanthema. Meningitis is contagious if the pathology is caused by viruses, fungi, bacteria. If meningitis is suspected, an examination is scheduled.

Take a general and biochemical blood test to confirm the presence of pathogens and pathological changes. Bacteriological inoculation of a sample from the nasopharynx is carried out if meningococcal and pneumococcal infection is suspected. The final diagnosis is made based on the results of the examination of the lumbar puncture sample. Traces of the inflammatory process are always present in the cerebrospinal fluid.

How the infection spreads

People who want to know how you can get meningitis should remember how any infectious disease spreads. The principle is the same in all cases. There are several ways of infection with meningitis:

Airborne and contact-household. The pathogen enters the nasal cavity and pharynx from the external environment - through the air, dirty hands, things and objects used by the patient. Then it penetrates into the meninges. One of the ways of infection is associated with poor hygiene. Direct infection of brain tissue occurs with open injuries, due to insufficient sterile conditions during neurosurgical surgery, or as a complication.
Perineural. The pathogen enters the brain through the branches of the olfactory nerve. Given the mode of transmission, diseases are isolated that can cause meningitis, such as otitis media and purulent otitis media, sinusitis, occurring in acute or chronic form. Pathogens overcome the blood-brain barrier against the background of a reduced immune defense. Weakening of immunity is associated with physical and mental stress, stress, frequent respiratory diseases, hypovitaminosis.
The spread of a systemic infection with a primary focus in other organs and systems. Infection can occur due to the migration of pathogens inside the body, where they move through the blood and lymphatic vessels. In this case, inflammation of the lining of the brain is classified as secondary meningitis. The route of transmission of the tuberculous form of meningitis is similar. Getting into the human body, mycobacterium tuberculosis affects the lungs, kidneys, bone tissue, lymph nodes. Pathological processes are accompanied by the formation of granulomas, consisting of a large number of mycobacteria, which enter the brain mainly in a hematogenous (through the bloodstream) pathway.
Hematogenous. Through contaminated blood.
Transplacental. Infection of the fetus in the womb.

Genetic predisposition does not matter when it comes to inflammatory processes occurring in the meninges. The answer to the question of whether meningitis is hereditary is negative. Conditionally correct is the statement that the disease is transmitted by airborne droplets, because the pathogens of meningitis enter the body during close communication with a sick person. Once in the body, bacteria do not necessarily cause meningitis.

Bacterial

Meningitis can be contracted from another person with a bacterial infection. The pathology is caused by pneumococci, streptococci, meningococci, salmonella, Escherichia coli. The meningococcal form of the disease in 10% of cases leads to severe damage to the brain structures. With incorrect treatment or no treatment, 50% of patients die. Complex therapy necessarily includes antibacterial drugs.

The meningococcal bacteria (Neisseria meningitidis) can provoke an epidemic. One way to get infected is through close contact with a sick person. The pathogen is transmitted through droplets secreted from the throat and respiratory tract. Even during normal conversation with a sick person who is not protected by a respiratory mask, there is a high probability that you will get sick. Coughing and sneezing in public places can spread the infection.

Viral

If you catch the virus, a child or adult can get meningitis. In 80% of cases, the disease develops as a result of enterovirus infection. It is worth noting separately the Coxsackie viruses (enterovirus A, B, C) and echoviruses (family Picornaviridae). Less commonly, cytomegalovirus, adenovirus, herpes, arenavirus (family Arenaviridae) become the cause of pathology.

Negleria Fowleri (Naegleria fowleri) is the simplest organism that causes the development of purulent meningitis (meningoencephalitis). Amoeba lives in warm water and soil. You can get infected by swimming in a lake or river. The pathogen enters the human body through the openings of the nose and the olfactory epithelium. Then it moves along the olfactory nerve into the structures of the brain. Localization of amoebas occurs near the blood vessels of the brain tissue, where the colony grows rapidly. An increase in the number of amoebas leads to local hemorrhages, necrosis of areas of gray and white matter.

Fungal

It develops against a background of weakened immunity. Fungi provoke - causative agents of torulosis (Torula histolytica), candidiasis (Candida albicans), cryptococcosis (Cryptococcus neoformans). The transmission of a fungal infection occurs by contact. The fungus enters the body orally, rarely through damaged skin. First of all, a fungal infection affects the lungs, causing the appearance of specific formations - toruloma (toruloma). Then it penetrates into the meninges.

Non-infectious

They cause systemic diseases affecting connective tissue: sarcoidosis, Behcet's syndrome, lupus erythematosus, metastases of a malignant tumor. In this case, the answer to the question of whether meningitis is contagious to others is negative.

Preventive actions

For preventive purposes, doctors recommend leading a healthy lifestyle, tempering, playing sports, and eating right. Such activities strengthen the immune system, thereby significantly reducing the risk of infection from the patient, even with direct contact. Some types of meningitis are vaccinated. Vaccination is carried out to prevent inflammation of the meninges, which is provoked by pneumococci, meningococci, Haemophilus influenzae, mumps virus.

Meningitis in any form is a dangerous disease that leads to damage to brain tissue, hearing loss, epilepsy, and disability. By taking precautions, you can reduce the risk of infection. At the first sign of illness, you should see a doctor.

Meningitis infection in children

In other cases, the pathological process so often manifested in children is the result of a weak immune system and insufficient hygiene. These causes of meningitis concern adults. You can understand what meningitis is and how it is dangerous to human life by looking at the statistics.

If not diagnosed and treated in time, the mortality from it can reach 50%. If detected early, this disease can be successfully cured and the number of deaths drops to 5-10%. However, how quickly the diagnosis was made depends not only on the patient's life. , but also possible complications, for example, blindness, deafness, epilepsy, etc.

they can remain for 1-2 years or for life. Meningitis of the spinal cord (spinal), like the brain (cerebral), can affect anyone. There are types of the disease that are not transmitted by the pathogen from the external environment, for example, with advanced sinusitis.

Meningitis is a dangerous disease that does not remain without consequences

Acute meningitis is the most dangerous form of this disease.

The mortality rate as a percentage of the total number of cases is not decreasing, despite the advances in pharmacy.

This statistic is especially great in young children. Is meningitis contagious? There is no doubt about that.

It is caused by the most aggressive pathogens for the central nervous system. Such pathogens are everywhere and they are easily transmitted between people, most often by airborne droplets.

Healthy people can also carry this infection. During outbreaks of meningitis diseases that occur every year, the likelihood of contracting is high. The mother of a child with meningitis can become infected through a soiled diaper. Not all people who are infected with meningitis enterovirus get sick seriously.

Most of the infected have a malaise, like with acute respiratory infections. The incubation period of this disease is a week, after which the body temperature rises sharply.

Disease meningitis: 8 truthful facts without exaggeration

Bacterial meningitis can be caused by Haemophilus influenzae type B, pneumococci, or meningococci.

Myth: meningitis can only get sick in winter, when it's very cold outside.

Meningitis is an infectious disease, therefore, in principle, it can be infected in any season of the year, and if you pay attention to the statistics of epidemics in Russia, then in recent years outbreaks have been most often observed in summer and autumn.
In winter, during the frost period, most viruses and bacteria are inactive, as they are afraid of the cold, but in the summer and autumn months they are quite strong.
You can also get meningitis in the summer if you swim in polluted water bodies or poorly cleaned pools.
The risk of infection occurs with weakened immunity and communication with sick patients.

Labor code of the Russian Federation reduction of a part-time employee

Myth: Meningitis can be easily treated at any time. Unfortunately, doctors have not learned how to prevent

Meningitis

The secondary form of the disease occurs after an infectious disease: measles, mumps, chickenpox and others. Tuberculous meningitis is caused by the tubercle bacillus.

Previously, this disease was not treated and the person died. Modern medicine is able to cure tuberculous meningitis, only 15–25% of all cases are fatal.

Cryptococcal meningitis is a form of fungal meningitis. The process of inflammation of the brain and spinal cord is caused by the fungus cryptococcus. Encephalitis meningitis - this type of disease begins when an encephalitis infection enters the body. It is transmitted by tick bites or by ingesting raw milk from an infected animal.

The main cause of meningitis is viruses or bacteria that invade the soft membranes of the brain and spinal cord.

In adults, bacterial meningitis is most common, caused by the bacteria streptococcus and meningococcus.

How meningitis is transmitted

The infection is not transmitted from a sick person to a healthy person, but is carried with the flow of lymph or blood from the focus of inflammation to the meninges.

Can meningitis get infected if a secondary form of infection is detected? As a rule, this type of infectious process is not dangerous for others, but regardless of the way the inflammation of the meninges develops, the disease is very difficult and can provoke serious complications that lead to disruption of the full functioning of the nervous system. In order to prevent infection, you should carefully read the ways of transmission of the infection and figure out which pathogens can cause it. When asked whether meningitis is contagious, one can answer that meningitis is contagious, but only if it arose as an independent disease. and did not develop as a result of complications of other inflammatory processes in the body. How do you get meningitis?

How is meningitis transmitted and how is it recognized?

As a result of the disease, persistent immunity remains. So, is meningitis contagious and how does the transmission of infection occur? Let's consider further.

The infectious agent enters the body through the mucous membrane of the nose, pharynx, bronchi, where the primary inflammatory response is localized. The time from the pathogen entering the bloodstream to the development of the first symptoms is on average 1 week. The earliest sign is often headache, especially in the forehead and Vertex Patients complain of nasal congestion and discharge, perspiration, sore throat, increased pain when swallowing. Then a dry, unproductive cough joins against the background of general poor health. In a large number of patients, the temperature rises to 37-38 degrees, which lasts 2-3 days, in rare cases up to a week.

Sample provision of one-time material assistance to citizens

Consequences of meningitis in adults and children

Previously, patients with this type of meningitis died in most cases, now medicine already has the ability to provide adequate therapy.

Patients complain of weakness, lethargy, decreased performance, loss of appetite.

Unbearable headache and repeated vomiting are also symptoms.

In more severe stages, cerebral disorders and paresis are noted. If the patient is not provided with qualified assistance within 30 days, he dies. Purulent - it is difficult, this form of the disease is life-threatening. Its causative agent is pathogenic microorganisms, and the symptoms at the initial stage are similar to a common viral infection, which complicates the diagnosis, and the patient loses precious time by taking pills for the common cold.

As the progression progresses, symptoms of meningitis appear - a rash all over the body, repeated vomiting, a sharp deterioration in the patient's condition, severe headache and confusion.

The patient cannot tilt his head forward and touch the chest with his chin, due to a spasm of the occipital muscles. Viral - is much easier than purulent.

Is meningitis contagious - ways of transmission from person to person and how to protect yourself from a dangerous disease

Is primary meningitis transmitted?

Doctors note that this type of pathology is almost always contagious. For example, with purulent meningitis, which stimulates meningococcal infection, infection occurs by air and droplets (through sneezing, kissing, coughing, etc.). Is serous meningitis contagious? The cause of the disease is an enterovirus infection.

In addition to airborne transmission, pathology is transmitted by the fecal-oral route (the source of infection is dirty hands) and by contact-household method: through the objects that the patient used. The disease can also be spread by swimming in pools or bodies of water.

The secondary disease is often not contagious: in this case, meningitis is a complication of other inflammatory processes. Bacterial and primary viral meningitis are transmitted from a sick person or a carrier of infection to a healthy person in different ways (secondary pathologies, as a rule, are not transmitted).

Meningitis - can the infection be prevented?

Meningitis is not exclusively a "childhood" disease, as most people mistakenly believe.

They can be infected at any age, relatively short contact with a sick person or carrier is enough. Doctors who know perfectly well how they contract meningitis can say with confidence that not every form of it is dangerous to others. Much also depends on the state of the human immune system - a strong organism is less exposed to the risk of infection.

Not every meningitis is viral, and therefore contagious. For example, tuberculous meningitis develops in the human body only in the presence of a tuberculous focus, and the penetration of infection to the meninges occurs along the hematogenous pathway.

Is it really that dangerous?

We read the commentary from veterinarian Anna (see in the comments under the article):

Children who grow up with animals not only grow up kinder, but also healthier. Scientists have proven that children living under the same roof with cats and dogs from birth are less likely to suffer from allergies and asthma. Excessive sterility is harmful. The immune system has to work, train. But if everything around is sterile, then the immune system begins to fight against non-existent "enemies" - dust, pollen, food.

Toxoplasmosis is a favorite horror story of illiterate gynecologists. The cat excretes Toxoplasma in the feces for a very limited period of time, during the initial infection. Did you know that 25% of meat is contaminated with toxoplasmosis? So most women become infected with Toxoplasma by cutting meat or tasting minced meat with salt. Compliance with basic hygiene rules will protect you 100% from infection. To get infected with toxa, it is necessary for the Ocyst tox to mature, and for this the cat's feces must lie down for a week. That is, you do not remove the litter box, it stinks for a week, then you remove the litter box and don’t wash your hands after that, and this is only on condition that you have a young cat that has caught a mouse for the first time and is currently in an acute phase of toxoplasmosis.

I am a veterinarian. Since childhood in my cat house, 10 years of practice, it happened that during the operation the glove was torn. I was examined during pregnancy, I thought that I had a full bouquet and I got sick with everything I could. However, nothing! Since it is the primary infection with toxoplasmosis that is dangerous for pregnant women. During pregnancy, I simply did not operate and washed my hands more often than usual.

Rabies

Rabies is the most dangerous disease, caused by a neurotropic virus and transmitted through saliva when bitten or through abrasions and wounds on the skin and mucous membranes. All warm-blooded animals, including humans, are ill. Rabies is characterized by damage to the nervous system, which manifests itself in the form of aggressiveness, impaired coordination of movement, spasms of the pharyngeal muscles and paralysis of the muscles of the limbs, respiratory muscles and muzzle (face); photophobia, and is fatal.

The violent form is more common in cats, the quiet and paralytic are less common. If you are bitten by a suspected rabid cat, ask the owner for a passport with vaccination marks. In the absence of a passport or owner, urgently contact the city station for the fight against animal diseases, which must isolate the bitten animal for quarantine for a period of 10 days, as well as the emergency room. If during this time the cat does not show signs of rabies, it means that she is not sick with it or is in the stage of the incubation period, when the virus has not yet begun to be released into the environment through the salivary glands.

Rabies serum can save your life only if it is made no later than 72 hours after the bite. Remember, when clinical signs of rabies appear, treatment is already useless. Take the issue seriously and vaccinate your animals against rabies annually (this is the only vaccination you are required by law to do). An accurate diagnosis can only be made posthumously (the head of the corpse is sent to the laboratory).

Lichen

Diseases of cats - for veterinarians and anyone who wants to know exactly what a cat can be sick with.

Dermatomycosis (ringworm) is the general name for zooanthroponotic diseases caused by microscopic pathogenic fungi and characterized mainly by lesions of the skin and hair.

The most common diseases of fungal origin are trichophytosis and microsporia; in general, 18 species of pathogenic fungi have been identified that cause dermatomycosis in animals.

Diseases in cats are manifested by the appearance of rounded, irregularly shaped bald patches on the skin. More often, such areas are located on the face, ears, but they can also be in other places throughout the body. The affected area may be red and flaky. The hairs in this place and on the border with healthy hair are brittle, at the base they have a whitish sheath. The course of trichophytosis and microsporia is similar, however, trichophytosis occurs with abundant exudation and the formation of grayish-white crusts at the lesions. Cats become infected from each other and other animals through direct contact. A person also becomes infected through close contact with a sick animal. For laboratory confirmation of the analysis, a fur pluck is taken at the border of the affected and healthy areas.

A preventive measure is therapeutic and prophylactic vaccination, for example, with the Vakderm vaccine.

Worms

The following symptoms may indicate the presence of worms: unstable stools (constipation is replaced by diarrhea with blood and mucus), a gas-filled (distended) abdomen, dull hair, lethargy, emaciation, etc.

Kittens are especially hard to tolerate. The accumulation of worms in the intestines can cause it to rupture, which will inevitably lead to death. Therefore, even if your cat never leaves the house, do regular deworming. The frequency of administration of the drug will be determined by your veterinarian.

Eaten flies, spiders, raw meat and fish, as well as accidentally swallowed worm eggs, for example, from human shoes, can serve as a source of infection. You can get worms from a cat if the animal is not clean. People should also not neglect regular deworming.

Dipylidiosis, toxocariasis, toxascariasis, and uncinariosis are most common in cats in Russia. Actually, all these types of helminths can be transmitted to humans.

Toxoplasmosis

The manifestations of toxoplasmosis are quite diverse (disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, respiratory system, abortion, emaciation, increased body temperature), but chorioretinitis (pathological eye damage) is common.

Cats most often get asymptomatic toxoplasmosis (the pathogen multiplies in intestinal epithelial cells). For diagnosis, a wash from the cat's rectum is taken, a PCR test method. The disease is especially dangerous for pregnant women!

Observe personal hygiene, there is no vaccine for this disease.

It should be noted that many infected people have toxoplasmosis asymptomatic. An exception is pregnant women. It is especially dangerous if a woman is infected directly during pregnancy. Therefore, it is better for pregnant women to avoid contact with cats.

Chlamydia

Chlamydia is a disease caused by infection with microorganisms of the genus Chlamydia. There are four known species of these microorganisms: C. psittaci, C. trachomatis, C. pneumonaiae, and C. pecorum. The causative agents of feline chlamydia are representatives of the species Chl. psittaci, which is characterized by various clinical forms of the course (rhinitis, conjunctivitis, bronchitis, pathology of childbirth and pregnancy), frequent chronicity of the infection process or its latent (latent) course. It is transmitted from cat to person by airborne droplets. Chlamydiae Chl. Are transmitted sexually (from person to person). trachomatis pathogens of trachoma (paratrachoma), urogenital chlamydia, lymphogranuloma venereum pathogenic for humans, this pathogen cannot be infected from a cat. For diagnosis, a wash from the vagina or prepuce of the animal is taken, a PCR test method.

The following vaccines can be used to prevent chlamydia in cats:

Katavac Chlamydia vaccine. The best vaccine against feline chlamydia. Live monovaccine.
ChlamyCon vaccine. Inactivated vaccine. Produced by JSC Vetzverocenter, Russia. Monovaccine.
Vaccine Multifel-4. Inactivated vaccine. Produced by NPO Narvak, Russia. The associated vaccine also protects against calicivirus, panleukopenia and herpesvirus rhinotracheitis.
Vaccine Felovax-4. American vaccine. The associated vaccine also protects against calicivirus, panleukopenia and herpesvirus rhinotracheitis.
The disease is dangerous for pregnant women!

Campylobacteriosis

Campylobacteriosis is a zooanthroponous infection caused by Campylobacter jejuni (a common strain for both cats and humans) and manifests itself in the form of acute gastroenteritis. Young cats and kittens are susceptible to the disease.

A large number of bacteria are excreted in feces, as well as in urine, a person can become infected with campylobacteriosis when caring for a sick animal.

In humans and cats, the disease is characterized by indigestion - diarrhea (mixed with blood and mucus) and vomiting, acute abdominal pain, weakness. Sometimes the temperature may rise. Most often, the disease goes away on its own without the use of drugs (the course lasts 3-7 days), but if the process takes on a difficult and protracted nature, you should consult a doctor. Campylobacteriosis can be diagnosed in a veterinary laboratory.

Aujeszky's disease

Aujeszky's disease is an acute viral disease of agricultural and domestic animals caused by the herpes virus and characterized by damage to the central nervous system (paresis and paralysis) and skin (edema, itching). Cats may also have profuse drooling, symptoms of gastroenteritis (rare), impaired coordination of movement, aggressive behavior, and sometimes only one pupil dilates. The cat is experiencing severe itching, so it constantly rubs its muzzle, neck, and licks its paws with its paws. The disease ends in death, the course of the disease is rapid.

Human infection mainly occurs when eating the meat of a sick animal (pork, beef, etc.). Cases of transmission of the virus through mucous membranes and wounded skin are also described, the virus is excreted with outflows from the nose, mouth, eyes, as well as in the urine and milk of sick cats.

The cats themselves become infected by eating rats and mice, which are virus carriers.

This disease is rare.

Tuberculosis

Cat skin diseases - about specific dermatoses of cats.

Tuberculosis is an infectious, predominantly chronic disease of many animal species (mammals and cold-blooded), with the formation of tubercles (specific nodules) in various organs (with the exception of the horns), prone to cheesy decay. The causative agent - mycobacteria - includes 49 species, the most pathogenic: Myc.tuberculosis, Myc.bovis and Myc.avium.

The pathogenicity of certain types of tuberculosis pathogen for different species of animals and humans is not the same. So, cats are also susceptible to the causative agent of the human species. Cats and humans are sensitive to the bovine pathogen, but birds are immune. Birds are sensitive to the causative agent of the bird species, and other mammals and humans are very rarely infected with it.

If the cat has lethargy, inconsistent appetite, gradual exhaustion, coughing, sneezing, upset gastrointestinal tract, characteristic nodules with tiny contents in the head and neck area, then there is a reason to go to the clinic.

Infection of cats and humans often occurs through the digestive tract by swallowing mycobacteria with sputum, nasal discharge, milk and meat of sick animals, but an aerogenic transmission route is not excluded. Most often, tuberculosis occurs chronically without pronounced symptoms. The diagnosis is confirmed by bacteriological examination.

Tuberculosis is a very rare disease in cats.

Salmonellosis

Salmonellosis is a group of infectious diseases caused by bacteria of the genus Salmonella, affecting animals and humans with symptoms of gastroenteritis, septicemia, toxemia, and respiratory damage. Clinical salmonellosis is rare in cats, although outbreaks can occur in kittens. Then in animals you can observe acute or chronic gastroenteritis, high temperature, pneumonia, conjunctivitis.

In humans, salmonellosis can occur in three different variations. The first is the symptoms of gastroenteritis with high fever and acute abdominal pain, diarrhea (mixed with blood and mucus) can last more than 7 days. The skin and mucous membranes are icteric. The second is the generalized form. The disease also begins with signs of gastroenteritis, but after a few days they disappear, the body temperature remains high and the symptoms of intoxication increase. The third is the septic form (the most severe). There is a large fluctuation in daily temperature, chills and sweating. Cholecystocholangitis, tonsillitis, meningitis, arthritis, osteomyelitis, endocarditis, etc. often occur.

Most often, cats and humans become infected at the same time by eating food contaminated with bacteria. People can get salmonellosis from cats if they don't follow good hygiene rules. Blood is taken from animals for diagnosis, but only on day 1-4, because the period of presence of bacteria in the blood is very short.

Tularemia

Tularemia is an acute infectious bacterial (Francisella tularensis) disease characterized by fever, intoxication, stomatitis, hepatitis, splenomegaly, abscesses and damage to the lymph nodes, a natural focal disease. The clinical symptoms of this disease in humans and cats are similar.

The causative agent of tularemia enters the body through the skin, mucous membranes of the eyes, respiratory tract, and gastrointestinal tract. The entrance gate determines the clinical form of the disease. From the site of introduction, bacteria enter the regional lymph nodes, causing the development of primary lymphadenitis. The causative agent and its toxins penetrate into the bloodstream, which leads to the generalization of the process, damage to various organs and lymph nodes (secondary lymphadenitis) with the formation of infectious granulomas in them. Diagnosed by laboratory by isolating the pathogen.

Fatalities are very rare.

Pasteurellosis

Pasteurellosis is an infectious disease of many species of animals and also humans, caused by Pasteurella multocida (there are 5 more species), and manifested by inflammatory and hemorrhagic processes in internal organs, serous, mucous membranes and skin, as well as septicemia. The disease is relatively rare. Cats, as carriers of Pasteurella, can infect humans through biting and scratching. At the site of introduction of the pathogen (damaged area of \u200b\u200bthe skin), swelling and soreness appear, bubbles form, and extensive edema (skin form) may develop.

Reproducing at the site of introduction, Pasteurella enters the blood and lymph, affects the capillaries and causes inflammatory and degenerative processes in the internal organs and the musculoskeletal system.

This disease is extremely rare, well diagnosed and fairly well and successfully treated.

Listeriosis

Ascites in cats and dogs, illustration from the book Diseases of dogs and cats.

Listeriosis is an infectious disease of humans (it is especially dangerous for pregnant women) and animals, the causative agent of listeria monocytogenes.

The main reservoir of the pathogen in nature is many species of rodents; the pathogen is also found in wild animals and birds. Even parrots and canaries can be ill with listeriosis, sometimes listeria is found in fish and seafood. The main routes of transmission of infection are contact, transplacental and food.

Listeria penetrate into the human or animal body through the mouth (into the esophagus or lungs) when eating contaminated foods and water, when inhaling air contaminated with bacteria, mucous membranes, damaged skin. The main clinical sign is damage to the central nervous system (movement coordination disorder). In animals and humans, the temperature rises, the lymphatic vessels are affected, in pregnant females there may be miscarriages, the process can turn into a generalized form.

To isolate the pathogen, a bacteriological blood test is performed.

Ersiniosis

Ersiniosis is an acute infectious disease caused by three main types of Ersinia: Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, Y. enterolitica and Y. pestis.

A person develops chills, headache, malaise, weakness, pain in muscles and joints, insomnia, sore throat, loss of appetite. The body temperature is slightly increased, sometimes it even rises to 38-40 ° C. Along with the symptoms of general intoxication, signs of damage to the gastrointestinal tract (abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea) often come to the fore. The skin is dry, sometimes a small speckled and punctate rash appears. Icteric discoloration of the skin and sclera appears. The size of the liver increases. A person becomes infected through direct contact with a cat with ersiniosis.

Generally does not cause clinical signs in cats.

Yersinia pseudotuberculosis causes pseudotuberculosis - also an infectious disease of wild and domestic animals, characterized by the formation of tubercles in the internal organs, similar to tuberculosis. In cats, the disease is acute with signs of gastroenteritis and septicemia. lesions are most often localized in the intestine.

Symptoms

It is necessary to study the symptoms and ways of transmission of pathology, since it will not be possible to protect against meningitis without this. Each form of the disease proceeds in its own way, but there are common symptoms in all types of infections. Meningitis in children is manifested by the following symptoms:

Constant regurgitation;
Drowsiness;
Stool problems (diarrhea);
Swelling of the fontanelle (the area between the frontal and parietal bone);
Trembling of the chin and upper limbs;
Poor appetite;
Crying, nervousness, anxiety;
Weakness or excessive activity;
Seizures;
Vomiting.

In an adult, meningitis has the following symptoms:

General weakness;
Inhibited reaction;
The appearance of cold symptoms;
Drowsiness;
Refusal to eat;
Rash on the body;
Strong headache;
Hypersensitivity of the skin;
Seizures;
Nausea up to vomiting;
Hardening of the muscles in the back of the head;
Enhanced perception of sounds;
Fear of light;
Failures at a subconscious level;
Patchy rash.

An infected person, as the disease progresses, feels severe pain in the head at the slightest movement. With meningitis, there is even a posture in which pain is reduced. To do this, the patient presses the legs bent at the knees to the stomach, and at the same time throws his head back.

Methods of transmission of meningitis

It is possible to understand whether meningitis is contagious by knowing its modes of transmission, as well as the type of disease and the culprit. If the infection is primary (the body received it as a result of infection), then this form of the disease can often be transmitted to other people, for example, purulent meningitis is very contagious. It refers to diseases transmitted by airborne droplets, that is, through coughing, kissing and the like. If there is serous inflammation of the meninges of the brain with an accumulation of exudate, then the reason is enterovirus infection. This type of meningitis is transmitted by both airborne droplets and fecal-oral routes, for example, through dirty hands. You can even get infected through banal swimming in contaminated water bodies or touching infected objects (contact transmission).

It is possible to get meningitis of a secondary type only because of a previous illness (not necessarily infectious) or after surgery, head trauma, etc. Basically, this type of disease is not transmitted.

You can find out how meningitis is infected by studying the culprits of the disease:

Separately, a non-infectious type of disease can be distinguished, because it is not the same as other forms of the disease, for example, as viral meningitis. This type of pathology is secondary, therefore, it is not contagious.

That is why infected people must find out what influenced the development of pathology in order to determine the culprit and begin a course of therapy.

Bacterial form

Patients suffering from meningitis caused by bacteria can infect people around them, as this type of meningitis is transmitted by airborne droplets. In some cases, in an uninfected person, germs that cause illness can multiply in the nasopharynx, but the carrier does not develop the disease. Other people can get it from it, so the carrier of the infection must be treated.

An infection caused by bacteria is not as dangerous as viral meningitis, which can be contracted very quickly. With the implementation of minimum safety measures, it will be possible to undergo a course of therapy without infecting the surrounding people.

Bacterial infection has its own risk groups, namely:

Pathology is more common at a young age, since the immunity of children is not as strong as in adults;
You can catch an ailment by traveling, for example, across the African continent;
The infection spreads quickly in collectives, because bacterial-type meningitis is transmitted by airborne droplets. It follows from this that the chances of getting infected in a crowd of people are much higher;
If the immune system is weakened, especially after an illness, then it is much more difficult for the body to resist infection.

Viral form

Enterovirus causes viral meningitis, and how the infection is transmitted can be found in the list below:

Fecal-oral method;
Airborne droplets.

Viral meningitis can go away without a course of therapy, but without it there are undesirable consequences, up to and including death. People with weak immunity need to be especially careful.

If there is a person in the family who has viral meningitis, then his loved ones should be careful. This form of the disease is extremely contagious, so it is advisable to isolate the patient. However, it is not always possible to catch inflammation of the meninges of the brain after contact with a carrier of the disease, since sometimes simple flu is also transmitted.

Insufficiently cleaned pools;
Rivers and lakes;
Water heaters;
Springs with warm water (geothermal).

Initially, the infection enters the body through the nose, and the ultimate target of nongleria is the brain.

Fungal form

According to statistics, the fungal form is the rarest, but any person, especially those with weakened immunity, can become infected with it. Inflammation is caused by cryptococcal infection, which lives predominantly on the African continent. It enters the bloodstream, and then into the brain, thereby causing pathology.

The ailment caused by a fungal infection has its own risk groups:

People with Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV);
After prolonged use of drugs that suppress immunity, as well as due to hormonal medications;
Because of the completed chemotherapy course.

Meningitis is usually not spread from person to person if it is the result of a fungal infection. From this it follows that you can safely contact the patient.

Non-infectious form

Noninfectious meningitis is not transmitted and is a secondary infection. It has its own reasons for its occurrence, namely:

Liebman-Sachs disease;
Some types of drugs;
Head injury;
Oncological diseases;
Brain surgery.

Prevention measures

Symptoms of pathology sometimes do not appear immediately and you need to know how to protect yourself from meningitis in order to avoid its severe complications. For this, the following prevention rules should be observed:

Observe hygiene;
Wash products before using;
Swim only in proven places;
Drink only high-quality water, not a liquid of unknown origin.

In addition to following the listed tips, you should try to avoid any contact with sick people and disinfect objects after them. You can protect yourself by taking vitamin complexes and leading a healthy lifestyle, and at the slightest suspicion of an illness, you should immediately go to the doctor.

Infection does not select people by how old they are or how they look. There are types of meningitis that are very quickly transmitted because you can get it through airborne droplets. That is why you need to be careful, especially if there is a seemingly unhealthy person nearby.

Headache, sometimes excruciating, unbearable.
An increase in body temperature above 38.5 ° C.
Nausea, vomiting.
Clouding of consciousness.
Stiffness of the muscles located in the neck.
Photophobia, sensitivity to noise.
Damage to the central nervous system, which is expressed in a violation of visual function (loss of visual fields, decreased visual acuity), anisocoria (different sizes of pupils), neuritis of the facial and trigeminal nerve.

How the infection spreads

People who want to know how you can get meningitis should remember how any infectious disease spreads. The principle is the same in all cases. There are several ways of infection with meningitis:

Airborne and contact-household. The pathogen enters the nasal cavity and pharynx from the external environment - through the air, dirty hands, things and objects used by the patient. Then it penetrates into the meninges. One of the ways of infection is associated with poor hygiene. Direct infection of brain tissue occurs with open injuries, due to insufficient sterile conditions during neurosurgical surgery, or as a complication.
Perineural. The pathogen enters the brain through the branches of the olfactory nerve. Given the mode of transmission, diseases are isolated that can cause meningitis, such as otitis media and purulent otitis media, sinusitis, occurring in acute or chronic form. Pathogens overcome the blood-brain barrier against the background of a reduced immune defense. Weakening of immunity is associated with physical and mental stress, stress, frequent respiratory diseases, hypovitaminosis.
The spread of a systemic infection with a primary focus in other organs and systems. Infection can occur due to the migration of pathogens inside the body, where they move through the blood and lymphatic vessels. In this case, inflammation of the lining of the brain is classified as secondary meningitis. The route of transmission of the tuberculous form of meningitis is similar. Getting into the human body, mycobacterium tuberculosis affects the lungs, kidneys, bone tissue, lymph nodes. Pathological processes are accompanied by the formation of granulomas, consisting of a large number of mycobacteria, which enter the brain mainly in a hematogenous (through the bloodstream) pathway.
Hematogenous. Through contaminated blood.
Transplacental. Infection of the fetus in the womb.