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George Dimech: "Despite the numbers, there was no epidemic" Photo: Julya Caminha / death on suspicion of meningococcal disease (MD) in 2019 in the state. The died was that of a man in his forties, residing in the city of Gravatá in the Agreste. In addition to this patient, another patient was registered in Caruaru, in the same area. The disease is a serious acute bacterial infection that can lead to meningitis and generalized infection ( meningococcemia ).
During the first week of 2018, there were no suspected cases or deaths. Since last year, the number of diseases that can go as far as doubling, including the number of deaths, has increased in pernambuco. In the comparison between 2017 and 2018, there was a 44% increase in suspected cases and 64% of confirmed cases. During the year 2018, 42 cases of Meningococcal Disease were reported, with 28 confirmations and four deaths. In 2017, there were 29 cases, 17 confirmed and two deaths.
Data are part of the annual report of the State Health Surveillance Information Center . The coordinator of the epidemiological surveillance of Gravatá, Aline Lima, announced that the patient who died this year had been admitted to the municipal hospital on the last day 4. He was a resident of the rural area. "The team quickly identified the symptoms, including loss of consciousness, and organized the transfer to the reference unit, Correia Picanço, in Recife," he said. About ten people with whom he had very close contacts had to follow a preventive treatment.
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Caruaru's communication office reported that the illness of one The patient, resident of Alto do Moura, had fever, headache, vomiting and stiff neck. She was treated at the PAU and directed to Correia Picanço hospital. The municipality has announced that it has put in place preventive measures against prophylaxis for five adults and two children.
George Dimech, director of Communicable Disease Control at the State Department of Health (19459013), said that despite the variation in absolute numbers, there had been no change in ;epidemic. According to him, the cases were isolated. "There has been an increase in numbers, but in general, when we look at the aggregates in space and time, there has not been a large epidemic. detected cases are controlled and do not reverberate, "he said, adding that the challenge lies in early detection of the first case.
Filipe Prohaska, responsible for the triage of infectious and parasitic diseases at the Oswaldo Cruz University Hospital ( de Huoc ) indicated that the precautions to be taken to prevent meningococcal disease are the same as for influenza and meningitis. "You have to wash your hands, do not use other people's utensils, be careful in big cities, they are care advice similar to other diseases." In addition, there is the vaccine against meningococcus C proposed by SUS for certain target populations.
Vaccine
According to the State Secretariat for Health Pernambuco figures among the last two years, receiving fewer doses than the ideal of the Ministry of Health. The record indicated that the average monthly requirement would be 67,284 doses of meningococcal C vaccine. In 2017, the state received 486,138 doses (average of 40,500 doses per month). In 2018, there were 484,188 doses (40,300 doses / month). As for the doses applied were 349,675 thousand in 2017 and 266,927 thousand doses in 2018 (preliminary data).
In childhood, the vaccine against meningococcus C should be applied at the age of three months and at five months. At 12 months, reinforcement is performed, completing the cycle in three doses. This comprehensive immunization program should be administered to the child until the age of one year. For children who have not received the booster at 12 months, the vaccine can be administered up to the age of four years. For the public aged 11 to 14 years, another booster dose or a single dose should be given to people without a history of vaccination.
The Ministry of Health reported that in 2018, it had sent 9.8 million doses of the vaccine throughout the country, including 484,100 for Pernambuco. The amount already sent includes the doses planned for January. He also pointed out that the distribution of meningococcal C had been reduced for a few months due to delays in the delivery of the producing laboratory. Member States conducted a consultation with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) on the possibility of acquiring the vaccine from an international producer. Unfortunately, no other laboratory in the world has sufficient production capacity to meet Brazil's demand.
