Meningitis

Welcome to meningitisprevention.co.uk, the online blog that can offer help and advice for families and individuals suffering with the effects of meningitis. A crippling and sometimes fatal condition that can affect various abilities, Meningitis can affect many important functions of the body if not spotted quickly, due to the fact that the meninges or protective membranes that surround the spinal cord and brain become infected by a virus, microorganism or bacteria.

The meninges become inflamed as the meningitis bacterial virus spreads, causing a long term or permanent disability, conditions such as cognitive deficits (mental disabilities), epilepsy, deafness, blindness and in some cases paralysis are commonly associated with Meningitis. Meningococcal meningitis amongst very young babies unfortunately often results in the amputation of limbs affected by aggressive petechial rashes that turn their fragile limbs gangrenous.

Treatment is available and the effects can be minimal if caught in time but can often leave those affected with ongoing, lifelong reminders of their unfortunate encounter with this devastating illness. Meningitis has no preference on age although it is the very young and the old who do seem to make up the majority of victims. One of the key important points that we focus on is the education of prevention. There are many fundraising charities operating globally in the attempt to reduce the number of meningitis outbreaks and infections and hopefully wipe them out completely.

Preventing meningitis should be of paramount importance amongst our young. Vaccines and boosters are administered to our children throughout their childhood lives in an attempt to eradicate the disease but further measures need to be enforced to completely lower any risk. Anyone travelling abroad to epidemic zones in South America, Northern parts of Africa where poverty and famine are still strife and parts of Mongolia China and Pakistan and Northern India, need to ensure the correct vaccinations are administered before travelling.

Many of the fundraising charities such as Meningitis UK, CoMO (Confederation of Meningitis Organisations), supporting organisations such as amrc (Association of Medical Research Charities) and the Pneumococcal Awareness Council of Experts (PACE), dedicate a fantastic amount of resources, including time, energy, funding and awareness to fight the problem of meningitis on a global scale. Our ongoing fight to wipe out this disease and raise awareness is our only wish and to continue developing ways to beat meningitis once and for all.