Meningitis – Listeriosis

Meningitis – Listeriosis – General Information

Meningitis – Listeriosis is an infection which appears as the result of the action of a mobile bacterium, called Listeria monocytogenes. This type of disease is quite rare and it usually affects those who present a weak immune system, especially young children and old people. The bacterium which causes this disorder is a motile, gram-positive and rod-shaped agent which is usually found in the wood, soil and any other natural environment. It can be reach the human body by the ingestion of contaminated foods. Nowadays, the most common products which can carry this bacterium are unpasteurized milk and the soft cheeses; however, there are also some other products which can be harmful: raw vegetables, unprepared meat and seafood. This infection is quite severe if it affects pregnant women, as it can result in nausea, diarrhea, malaise, excessive fever, vomiting, headaches and back pain. In more severe cases, the infected woman can even experience a spontaneous abortion or a premature labor. If the infection is transmitted to the newborn, he may experience a severe form of meningitis; in addition, in most of the cases, the child presents a weak immune system. Another important thing which should be taken into consideration by the doctors is the fact that in the nursery other children can also be affected. Meningitis – Listeriosis affects about 2 or 3 individuals in a million each year and it is more frequent in the USA than in Europe. The reports have shown that, in some rare cases, this disease resulted in the sufferer’s death.

Meningitis – Listeriosis - Symptoms

As a common procedure, the doctors should examine a newborn in order to establish if he suffers form Meningitis – Listeriosis, especially if the baby is born in an area where this infection is quite common. However, in the case of young babies, this disorder can appear in two different forms: an infection with an early onset and an infection with a late-onset. The most severe one is the first type, taking into consideration the fact that, at birth, the immune system of the baby cannot fight against a severe infection. In addition, the babies who experience the first type of infection present stained amniotic fluid. A common sign of Meningitis – Listeriosis which is reported in the case of adults as well as in the case of young sufferers is the respiratory difficulty, which is usually characterized by rapid breathing, apnea, grunting and retractions; in addition, these respiratory difficulties can also include cyanotic episodes. On the other hand, this disease is characterized by the body temperature instability, excessive irritability, seizures, lethargy and other granulomatosis complications: the appearance of pale and small nodules, rashes and the development of granulomas. The most common cause of Meningitis – Listeriosis is the consumption of contaminated foods; in the case of babies, the reports have shown that they usually get infected because of the fact that the amniotic membranes brake during the birth. However, the babies can also get affected during the vaginal delivery. This is the reason why the future mothers have a pay a great attention to what they eat.

Meningitis – Listeriosis – Treatment

If you notice the presence of any of the signs and symptoms presented above, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible in order to obtain a sure diagnosis and to benefit from the best way of treatment. The most common tests which can be performed in order to determine whether a person suffers from Meningitis – Listeriosis are the following: a blood culture, a respiratory tract culture, a culture of the cerebrospinal fluid, a culture of the rash and cultures of any other possible infected tissues (an amniotic fluid culture, a placenta culture, a pericardial fluid culture, a gastric culture or a pleural fluid culture). In addition to these tests, the doctor can also recommend a CT scanning in order to determine the possible presence of an abscess in the liver or in the brain. The treatment which is administrated in order to improve the condition of those who suffer from Meningitis – Listeriosis is differentiated, considering the patient’s age and the stage of the disease.

In the case of young babies who experience this complication, the doctor will probably choose to start the administration of medicines, combined with a careful and complete monitoring of the respiratory system, the body temperature, the nutrition, the cardiovascular activity and the electrolyte and fluid balance. In the case of a severe infection, the babies will probably be treated in a specialized medical centre. In addition, when this infection is diagnosed at young babies, the parents should also consult a pediatric specialist or a neo-natologist. In the case of adults who suffer from Meningitis - Listeriosis, the doctor will also recommend the administration of drugs, but, in this case, the dosage will be much higher. In addition, the doctor can also choose to prescribe some vitamin and other nutritional agents’ supplements, in order to prevent the appearance of other problems. This can be quite a common problem, if we take into consideration the fact that the immune system is extremely weak.

The drugs which are usually used to treat Meningitis – Listeriosis are the antibiotics, such as ampicillin and gentamicin. Ampicillin is used in order to stop the bacterial activity and the active multiplication of the infected cells. In the case of babies, the dosage has to be adjusted considering the age of the patient and how severe the infection is. Ampicillin, however, can result in hypersensitivity; in addition, the doctor has to monitor periodically the hepatic system, the renal system and the hematologic system. Gentamicin is usually used at the same time with ampicillin, as their effect is quite the same. However, this drug should not administrated to pregnant women as it carries a high risk for the fetus. On the other hand, it can cause serious complications also in the case of adults: renal failure, myasthenia, renal impairment or hypocalcemia. There are some simple prevention measures which can be taken in order to reduce the risk of suffering from Meningitis – Listeriosis: you should carefully wash your hands after you have handled row products, you should cook the meat completely and you should carefully wash all the vegetables before eating them.