What are the signs of being sick with Meningococcal Disease?
Symptoms of meningococcal disease include: Fever (abrupt onset) Severe headache Stiff neck Drowsiness or confusion Skin rash that appears as bruising or bleeding under the skin Nausea and vomiting Sensitivity to light In babies, the symptoms are more difficult to identify but may include: Fever Fretfulness or irritability Poor appetite Difficulty in waking the baby How is meningococcal disease diagnosed? If you have any of the above symptoms, it is important to seek medical attention immediately. An infected person may become sick within a few hours of developing symptoms and early diagnosis. Your health care provider may collect blood or perform a spinal tap to obtain spinal fluid to see if meningococcal bacteria are present. How can Meningococcal Disease be treated? Meningococcal disease is treated with several different types of antibiotics, and early treatment may reduce the risk of complications or death from the disease. A 24-hour course of antibiotic therapy reduces a person’s l
