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Risk of meningitis to others?

8 replies

IHopeYouStepOnALegPiece · 05/08/2023 16:41

DC has been exposed to meningitis a few days ago (unsure which strain) and has been given 2 days of antibiotics and is vaccinated for all except B. Does this pose a risk to anyone else? Should he be kept away from other kids/family/nanny for a certain amount of time?

TIA

🫠

OP posts:
lljkk · 05/08/2023 16:48

I was under impression the bacteria that cause it are everywhere all the time, anyway.

IHopeYouStepOnALegPiece · 05/08/2023 17:03

Oh ok, that’s v interesting!

OP posts:
mathanxiety · 05/08/2023 19:01

Meningitis can be both viral and bacterial. Viral meningitis is the more common type.

Meningitis can also be (very rarely) caused by fungal or parasitic infections.

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IHopeYouStepOnALegPiece · 05/08/2023 19:43

Thank you @mathanxiety, as we don’t know which strain he’s been exposed to (as I say, vaccinated against all but B), should there be a level of isolation for a few days? I’m struggling to find the answer of google

OP posts:
underneaththeash · 05/08/2023 20:12

mathanxiety · 05/08/2023 19:01

Meningitis can be both viral and bacterial. Viral meningitis is the more common type.

Meningitis can also be (very rarely) caused by fungal or parasitic infections.

Their DC wouldn’t have been given Prophylactic antibiotics for a viral meningitis contact.

it’s never a good idea to pay about something medical unless you know what you’re talking about.

OP unless you’ve been told to quarantine or your child is unwell I wouldn’t worry.

nocoolnamesleft · 05/08/2023 20:19

If you are in the UK, and they are worried enough to be giving post exposure prophylaxis (the oral antibiotics) then they think it is meningococcal mengingitis, of which B is the most common strain here (though a lot less common than it used to be, thanks to vaccination). Most of the time it hits pretty randomly, but the rarer occasions where there are mini outbreaks are due to spread of bugs in the nasopharynx, and the antibiotics are given to try to wipe these out before they actually create illness, or spread further. We generally give antibiotics to household contacts (12 hours in the same house per day over the last couple of days) though occasionally public health dishes them out more widely. Whilst taking the antibiotics it's probably worth not snogging anyone, and not having unnecessary social contact with anyone with a seriously depressed immune system (eg on chemo, or neonate). After the course of ABs, go back to normal as the bug should be gone.

mathanxiety · 06/08/2023 21:20

underneaththeash · 05/08/2023 20:12

Their DC wouldn’t have been given Prophylactic antibiotics for a viral meningitis contact.

it’s never a good idea to pay about something medical unless you know what you’re talking about.

OP unless you’ve been told to quarantine or your child is unwell I wouldn’t worry.

You are so right - it's never a good idea to post about something medical unless you know what you're talking about.

Since the OP doesn't know whether the infection her child was exposed to was viral or bacterial, the doctor properly prescribed antibiotics.

OP I would keep your child quarantined. At the very least I would call the doctor to check.

IHopeYouStepOnALegPiece · 07/08/2023 10:11

mathanxiety · 06/08/2023 21:20

You are so right - it's never a good idea to post about something medical unless you know what you're talking about.

Since the OP doesn't know whether the infection her child was exposed to was viral or bacterial, the doctor properly prescribed antibiotics.

OP I would keep your child quarantined. At the very least I would call the doctor to check.

Thanks @mathanxiety appreciate the advice

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