Question

Gram positive and negative bacilli 1. Al-year-old Eskimo child, Melissa, was admitted to a hospital in Alaska following a seizure and is limp and unresponsive. Her mother tells the physicians that the child had a runny nose earlier in the day and has been suffering from a cold for several days since beginning her enrollment at a daycare center. On closer examination, the patient is found to have an elevated temperature, rapid pulse, and supple neck. Overnight her neck becomes stiff, and blood and cerebrospinal fluid cultures are positive for gram-negative coccobacilli, which look like "rice grains" under the microscope. The bacteria need to be cultured under special conditions on blood and chocolate agars. What organism is causing Melissa's condition? What led you to this diagnosis? How has Melissa contracted her infection? Could her disease have been prevented?

Answer 1

1. In this Neisseria meningitidis or meningococcus is gram negative bacilli is causes the meningitis.
2. Meningococcal meningitis is a serious infection of the meninges that affect brain membrane. It occur at any age however mainly affect babies, preschool children and young people. Here Melissa is one year child. The symptoms are stiff neck, high fever, seizure. Here Melissa has present all above mentioned symptoms
3. It is transmitted from person to person through droplets of respiratory or throat secretion from carrier. Eg coughing, sneezing or kissing. Here baby symptoms beginning her enrollment in day care center. It occur may be in day care.
4. It can be prevented by vaccination. Three types of vaccine are available such as polysaccharides (used during outbreak )conjugate vaccine (used in routine immunization schedule )and protein based vaccine (introduced into routine immunization ). It also can be treated by chemoprophylaxis in which Ciprofloxacin or ceftriaxone id drug of choice.