A passenger TGV high-speed trains to hospital in emergency at Auxerre for meningitis. The hospital confirms.

Kloeg008/epictura

Published the 08.01.2018 at 18: 15

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méningitevaccination

Saturday, 6 January, at around 23 hours, a young woman was on board a TGV party of Savoy and destination of Paris. She complained emphatically of intense pain suggestive of meningitis, to such a point that the train has made an unscheduled stop at the station of Thunder to allow his hospitalization in the emergency hospital of Auxerre for a suspicion of meningitis. The diagnosis was confirmed by the ARS (regional Agency of health), Bourgogne-Franche-Comté on Monday 8 January 2018. The entourage of the young girl, as well as the people who have supported have been treated by antibiotic and vaccinated. A new episode of meningitis sufficiently disturbing to stop a TGV train and trigger hospitalization in an emergency.

Meningitis remains endemic in France

Meningitis, fulminant are generally linked to a bacterium, the meningococcus C. it is unusually virulent for the past ten years in the opinion of the specialists who alerted the health authorities. The figures are, alas, come give them a reason. 800 cases, 200 deaths since 2011. Several these past few weeks… A worrying situation, and frustrating when we know that the vaccination could eliminate the disease… as in the netherlands.

An infection of the envelopes of the brain

Meningitis is an inflammation of the meninges which is quite frequent. It is not severe when it is caused by a virus, which is the case in 80% of cases. It becomes serious if it is a bacterium and life-threatening if it is a fulminant form if the care does not have to occur quickly.
In the normal forms, c’is painful and very distressing, there is really no specific treatment of viral forms and the healing is the rule. It is a whole different story with a bacterium : the cerebrospinal fluid becomes purulent, and the whole nervous system is in danger. It is an extreme emergency which fortunately, if the diagnosis is made on time, can benefit from the spectacular effect of the antibiotics.

Diagnosis by lumbar puncture

To make the diagnosis, to treat effectively, a single gesture : the lumbar puncture. With a long needle, it will take between two and brainstorm a little of the liquid. It is done in the lower back, because the meninges cover not only the brain but also its extension, the spinal cord. Where the collection between the fourth and the fifth lumbar vertebra, where ends the meninges, where it can be removed without risk of injury to a vital area.

Meningitis does not only affect children.

There are about 8000 cases of meningitis per year in France of which about 2000 are severe forms. If you insist on children this is because each year, some 500 to 800 people are affected by meningococcal meningitis, the most severe form. Most are infants or young children. One in ten died, and 6% of survivors have significant sequelae.

The vaccination is effective

At A time when many French are looking for arguments to convince us of the importance of vaccination, beyond this terrible statistic, it is necessary to meditate on another. In France, the vaccination coverage for this virus is 71 %. This may seem like a lot… but it is very inadequate to eradicate the meningococcus. According to Public Health France : “in The netherlands, vaccine coverage against meningococcal C has reached 94 %, and the disease has now disappeared. !”
Hence the importance of making the vaccination mandatory. And put a little decency in the invectives of some at the time where two young people come to be a victim of meningitis in Dijon and Roye, witnesses of the presence of the bacteria everywhere in France.

Moreover, it is vaccinating we will eradicate the disease. In France, the meningitis lead to a thirty deaths per year.