How many types of meningococcal meningitis are there?

Epidemic meningitis, generally referred to as meningitis, is an acute respiratory disease. Its peak incidence usually occurs from February to May each year, so prevention must be done at this stage. After contracting the disease, patients will experience fever, headache, vomiting, petechiae or ecchymosis on the skin. Severe cases may even cause septic shock and meningitis. If the above symptoms occur, you must go to the hospital for examination and treatment in time. Do not treat it as an ordinary fever and delay the treatment. Now let’s talk about the types of meningococcal disease.

1. Lightweight

It is more common during epidemics of meningococcal meningitis. The lesions are mild, and the clinical manifestations include upper respiratory tract symptoms such as low-grade fever, mild headache and sore throat. There may be a few small bleeding spots and meningeal irritation signs on the skin. There is usually no obvious change in cerebrospinal fluid, but pathogens may be found in throat swab culture.

2. Ordinary type

The most common, accounting for more than 90% of all cases. It is divided into 4 phases, with the following characteristics:

(1) Prodromal stage (upper respiratory tract infection stage)

It lasts about 1 to 2 days, and may cause upper respiratory tract infection symptoms such as low fever, sore throat, and cough. Most patients do not have this symptom.

(2) Sepsis stage

Symptoms of toxemia include sudden chills, high fever, headache, muscle aches, loss of appetite, and mental atrophy after the onset or prodromal period. Young children may cry and be restless, refuse to be held due to skin allergies, and have convulsions. A small number of patients experience joint pain and splenomegaly. The characteristic manifestation of this stage is rash, usually in the form of petechiae or ecchymoses. 70% to 90% of patients have petechiae or ecchymoses on the skin or mucous membranes, 1mm to 2cm in diameter, bright red at first and then purple-red. They are first seen in the conjunctiva and oral mucosa, and vary in size, number, and uneven distribution. They are more common in areas that are easily pressed, such as shoulders, elbows, and buttocks. They are bright red in color and later turn purple-red. In severe cases, the ecchymosis expands rapidly, and purple-black necrosis or bulla appears in the center due to thrombosis. If the necrosis involves the subcutaneous tissue, scars may be left. Most patients develop meningitis within 12 to 24 hours.

(3) Meningitis stage

Symptoms of meningitis often appear at the same time as symptoms of the sepsis phase. In addition to the prodromal symptoms, severe headache, frequent vomiting, mania and symptoms of meningeal irritation may appear. Blood pressure may increase and pulse may slow down. In severe cases, delirium, mental disorder and convulsions may occur. The recovery period usually begins after 2 to 5 days.

(4) Recovery period

After treatment, the body temperature gradually returned to normal, and the skin spots and ecchymoses disappeared. An ulcer formed in the central necrotic area of ​​the large ecchymosis, which later scabbed over and healed. The symptoms gradually improved, and the neurological examination was normal. About 10% of patients develop herpes labialis. Patients usually recover within 1 to 3 weeks.