Epidemiology+Meningitis-Timothy

Causes Effects  Treatment Prevention Epidemiology Notes Bibliography || **__Epidemiology__** There has been little documentation of meningitis from before the 1800s. The first recorded major epidemic of meningitis occured in the United States from 1806 till 1816. The disease soon began to spread into European countries like France, Italy, Sweden, and Germany. By 1875, meningitis had come to Africa, Asia, and Australia. Iti wasn't until 1887 when an Austrian Scientist first identified the meningitis causing bacteria Neisseria meningitidis or meningococcus. Epidemics of meningitis seemed to happen during times of war when people may be forced to live in crowded places with poor conditions. For example, epidemics occured during the Civil War (1861-1865), WWI (1914-1918), and WWII (1939-1945). Little was done to treat bacterial meningitis until the 1930s before which the death rate from the disease was 75%. When an antibiotic called Sulfanilamide was developed, the death rate was reduced to 11%. Penicillin also became an effective antibiotic for treating meningitis. Today outbreaks of meningitis are still controlled using antibiotics and through vaccination programs. **Occurence Rates** While an exact rate for bacterial and viral meningitis infections are unknown as viral meningitis can be hard to diagnose. However in western countries 3 in 100,000 are diagnosed with bacterial meningitis, while globally 10.9 in 100,000 people will have viral meningitis. In sub-saharan Africa, there is what is known as the Meningitis belt. Because of poor sanitation in the area, during the dry season, 300 million people living in the meningitis belt are at high risk of developing bacterial meningitis. The rate of infection here may range from 100 to 1,000 in 100,000 people. Epidemics here are stopped through vaccination programs, but may not be adequately funded or implemented.
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Quiz Question: What major medical breakthrough has greatly aided the treatment of bacterial meningitis?