The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) yesterday announced two new confirmed cases of meningococcal meningitis, including a one-month-old boy in southern Taiwan, the youngest case reported in the past 10 years.
The new cases brought this year’s total to seven, it added.
The baby had no underlying medical conditions, the CDC said.
Photo: CNA
The boy on April 17 developed symptoms including loss of appetite and irritability, and the next day, his parents sought medical care for him because of a fever.
He was admitted to an intensive care unit for treatment, the CDC said.
Laboratory testing later confirmed infection with Neisseria meningitides, the CDC said, adding that his condition is stable.
Health authorities have identified four close contacts within the household, all of whom have received preventive medication, it said.
Monitoring of contacts at a postpartum care center, including infants and staff, was completed on Wednesday last week, with no suspected cases reported, it said.
The other case was a man in his 30s from central Taiwan with no underlying medical conditions, the CDC said.
He began experiencing fever, cough and pain in both legs on April 26. Two days later, after developing chest tightness and difficulty breathing, he was hospitalized for sepsis before laboratory tests confirmed infection with N meningitides.
His condition is stable, one close contact has been identified and health authorities are monitoring the person’s condition, the CDC said.
Meningococcal meningitis is mainly spread through contact with throat or nasal secretions, or droplets, of infected people, CDC epidemiologist Lin Yung-ching (林詠青) said.
Transmission typically requires close or prolonged contact, such as kissing or exposure to coughing, he said.
The incubation period is usually two to 10 days, with common symptoms including fever, severe headache, stiff neck, nausea, vomiting and a hemorrhagic rash, Lin said.
In some cases, an infected person might also develop confusion or fall into a coma, he said, adding that severe infections can lead to pneumonia, sepsis, meningitis or septic shock, with a fatality rate of up to 40 percent.
High-risk groups include infants younger than one year, people living in close quarters and those with weakened immune systems, he said.
For infants, symptoms are often nonspecific and difficult to detect, Lin said.
People should avoid prolonged stays in crowded or poorly ventilated spaces and maintain good hand and respiratory hygiene, the CDC said.
When caring for newborns, people with respiratory symptoms should avoid close contact, and if contact is unavoidable, they should wear a mask and practice thorough hand hygiene, it added.
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