Meningococcal infection 1. Causative Agent: a. What is the causative agent of the disease? Is it a bacterium, a virus, a prion, or a eukaryote? b. If it is a bacterium, what are the characteristics of...

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MENINGOCOCCAL INFECTION
Table of Contents
1. Causative Agent:    3
2. History:    3
3. Epidemiology:    4
4. Pathology:    4
5. Response and treatment    5
6. Socio-politico-economic considerations    5
Reference list    7
1. Causative Agent:
a. Causative agent of the disease is Neisseria meningitidis. It is a bacterium (CDC, 2020a).
b. This is a Gram-negative bacterium that can cause meningitis and relevant forms of "meningococcal disease" namely "meningococcemia" which has been considered as life-threatening sepsis. The cells are coffee-bean shaped which might occur extracellularly or intracellularly in "PMN leukocytes" (CDC, 2020b). The core of the "meningococcal genome" which encodes for significant metabolic functions represents 70% of the genome.
2. History:
a. History of disease
Meningococcal disease is believed to be first reported in the 16th century and in the year 1805, the first description of the disease was given by “Vieusseux” in Switzerland. Moreover, this bacterium was identified first within the spinal fluid of the patient in the year 1887 (CDC, 2020c).
Historical treatment
The first effective treatment was giving a direct injection of "horse antiserum" in the "cerebral spinal fluid" and this was the main therapy for "meningococcal meningitis". In the "First World War", this treatment saved many lives and in 1935, "sulphonamides" became the first choice of treatment for the disease (CDC, 2020c).
History of vaccine development
Vaccines for preventing meningitis were developed in the 1900s that had different rates of success. In the 1930s, this vaccine was stable, safe as well as effective against “pneumococcal meningitis". In the 1960s, vaccines were further developed in order to create more effective vaccines for protection against the numerous bacterial causes of meningitis (Como Meningitis, 2019).
b. “Neisseria meningitidis” has remained the leading cause of fatal sepsis and meningitis worldwide (Mahmoud & Harhara, 2020). Till the end of the 19th century, many bacterias were known; however, those bacteria could only be identified once the patient died (Como Meningitis, 2019). Outbreaks also occurred around the world specifically in the “African Meningitis Belt”. In this region, 1 million cases have been reported over the past 20 years and this infection has caused 100000 deaths (Como Meningitis, 2019). In the modern days, understanding of this infection has increased and this has resulted in the development of effective vaccines.
3. Epidemiology:
a. Meningococcal disease occurs in both epidemic and endemic forms across the world. The primary mode of transmission of the disease is via the spread of respiratory droplets or via direct contact.
b. Meningococcal disease is mainly prevalent in the region of sub-Saharan Africa and this has been referred to as a meningitis belt. This belt stretches from Senegal (west) to Ethiopia (east) (WHO, 2018). Approximately 30000 cases of Meningococcal infection are reported every year and in 2017, 350 total cases were reported in the US. Rate of new infections 0.11 cases / 100000 persons (CDC, 2020d). Anyone can be infected with this disease but the rates are higher in children. The rate of morbidity and mortality of this disease in the developing countries ranges from 20-40%.
c. Humans have been considered as the only natural reservoir of meningococcus. Moreover, 10% of adults and adolescents are assumed as "asymptomatic transient carriers". The temporal pattern of...