Enterovirus meningitis - this is one of the manifestations of diverse enterovirus infection. This type of meningitis occurs frequently, moreover, the incidence tends to spread. Outbreak of enterovirus meningitis are mainly found in the summer-autumn period.
What causes meningitis Enterovirus
Enterovirus meningitis
Meningitis - an inflammation of the meninges
- It is a form of enterovirus infection, which is caused by Coxsackie virus, ECHO and enterovirus serotypes 70 and 71. All enteroviruses may cause as respiratory tract infections and intestinal infections (enteritis). In addition, any of the enteroviruses may cause serous (i.e. non-purulent) meningitis.
Each of the enterovirus serotypes, there are many that can cause a variety of diseases. A feature of enteroviruses is one hundred one and the same serotype may cause different people have completely different diseases. Enterovirus infection characterized by a huge variety of clinical manifestations. It can manifest itself in the form of acute respiratory infection (ARI) with a cough and runny nose, sore throat herpes
Herpangina - a mild form of the disease
, Intestinal infections, meningitis, myocarditis and other.
How do you get enterovirus infection
The source of infection is a sick person or a virus carrier (in his body have infectious agents, but they do not cause disease). How exactly transmitted infection depends on the symptoms.
If the patient has a catarrhal phenomena (coughing, runny nose, sneezing), it can transmit the infection to healthy person through airborne droplets. But as enteroviruses are actively multiplying in the gut, the same person can also transmit the infection by contact - via contaminated faeces hands and objects. If the only manifestation of the disease is enteritis, the most likely route of transmission is contact only. Enteroviral meningitis patient nature can transmit infection as droplets, and by contact.
Enterovirus infection often causes outbreaks, while the outbreak of SARS or a mild form of intestinal infection can pass unnoticed, while the outbreak of enterovirus meningitis forced to take emergency measures to prevent the spread of the disease. Ill serous meningitis, mostly children of all ages, adolescents and young adults. However, people can get sick of any age.
As shown
The incubation period of the disease (time from infection until the first signs of it) - from 2 to 12 days. The first signs may be catarrhal phenomena (cough, runny nose), diarrhea or directly signs of meningitis
Symptoms of meningitis - cerebral symptoms
.
In any case, aseptic meningitis
Serous meningitis - a consequence of serious infection
Caused by enterovirus infection begins acutely, with a sharp rise in temperature, severe headache and vomiting. Vomiting can be single, fountain, but can also take the indomitable character of that young children quickly leads to dehydration.
Meningeal symptoms may appear in the first or second day of the disease. The reason for their appearance is the increased muscle tone throughout the body. A child receives a characteristic meningeal posture: head thrown back, the body is stretched, stomach in ("scaphoid"), his hands pressed against his chest, and legs bent at the knees and pressed against his stomach.
Characterized by rigidity (stiffness) of the occipital muscles, due to which the patient throws back his head and can not press your chin to your chest. It revealed a number of other characteristic symptoms.
The temperature is held for three to ten days, and then decreases rapidly and the child begins to recover. As a rule, timely hospitalization of aseptic meningitis and rarely ends happily leaves behind consequences. The only consequence of serous meningitis is a fatigue that lasts up to six months, and manifests as weakness, fatigue, irritability and poor concentration.
Diagnosis and treatment
First aid for aseptic meningitis is a spinal (cerebral spinal) puncture, which is both a diagnostic procedure. During the puncture is a puncture spinal membranes and taken a certain amount of CSF (cerebrospinal fluid). The child immediately feels relieved.
During sampling the liquor the doctor pays attention to the pressure at which it comes out: for all meningitis is characterized by increased intracranial pressure. In the study of cerebrospinal fluid revealed lymphocytic pleocytosis - increasing the number of cellular elements by lymphocytes - a sign, characteristic of viral meningitis.
The patient was prescribed diuretics (they help to reduce intracranial pressure), and drugs that remove toxicity.
Enterovirus meningitis requires immediate hospitalization.
Galina Romanenko