At the end of September, three students from the University of Grenoble were hospitalized for several days for cases of meningitis. A vaccination campaign has been organized since October 10. This disease mainly affects young people and can be fatal.
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Three students from the University of Grenoble were hospitalized for several days for cases of meningitis during the month of September. Their state of health today is “reassuring“, they are “out of danger“, specifies the ARS of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, on its website.
A vaccination campaign has been set up by the ARS from this Thursday, October 10 for students in two sectors concerned. Here are three things to know about this disease which can cause serious after-effects or even be fatal.
She is called meningococcus B. This bacteria, which is most often found in the throat, can trigger a serious infection. Most of the time, “it does not cause any particular illnesses“, specifies the ARS. But in certain cases, it can cause serious pathologies such as meningitis or septicaemia.
This bacteria can be transmitted through saliva, coughing or spit. “It survives in ambient air for a very short time. Close contact is required for transmission to occur, less than one meter, for at least one hour face-to-face“, with a healthy carrier or a sick person, indicates Marie-Hélène Schmidt, medical director of the student health service at Grenoble-Alpes University interviewed by France 3 Alpes.
Many symptoms appear when a person is affected by meningitis. Most of the time, it involves fever, severe headache and vomiting. “This can affect the neurological system: the meninges and the brain. This can lead to a neurological coma and there may also be after-effects if we recover from it.“, lists the doctor.
Two signs in particular should be taken very seriously: a poorly tolerated high fever as well as the rapid appearance of red or purplish spots. In these situations, the ARS recommends contacting 15.
When spots appear, this can lead to what is called “purpura”, adds Marie-Hélène Schmidt, i.e. “bleeding disorders […] and this can lead to amputations.”.
On its site, the ARS also mentions the possibilities for sick people to have disturbances of consciousness, pale or even gray facial color, intolerance to light or noise, neck stiffness, significant aches, severe fatigue, or even convulsions.
The most effective measure to combat this disease is vaccination. According to the doctor, this allows “prevent the outbreak of the disease, reduce healthy carriers of the microbe and therefore reduce transmission“.
It is for this reason that the ARS and the Grenoble student health service have decided to organize a vaccination campaign. “From three cases, we believe that the circulation of the bacteria is important and that there are many healthy carriers in a given environment.“At the moment, no new cases have been reported at the university since September 20.
Vaccination includes a first injection and a booster with a delay of at least one month between the two injections. Once carried out, it is fully effective after 10 to 15 days. It has been recommended since 2022 for infants. Meningitis mainly affects children under the age of one and unprotected young adults aged 15 to 24.
In France, serious meningococcal infections affect around 600 people per year, most of which are meningitis.
