Table of Contents
When and where did meningitis originate?
The first outbreak in Africa was recorded in the 1840s, but it wasn’t until 1887 that Austrian bacteriologist Anton Vaykselbaum identified meningococcal bacteria as a cause of meningitis. In 1890, Heinrich Quincke (1842–1922) used a procedure called lumbar puncture (LP) on a patient with suspected meningitis.
How did meningitis start?
Bacteria that enter the bloodstream and travel to the brain and spinal cord cause acute bacterial meningitis. But it can also occur when bacteria directly invade the meninges. This may be caused by an ear or sinus infection, a skull fracture, or — rarely — some surgeries.
Was there a meningitis epidemic?
In the past, meningitis has been classed as a pandemic. As WHO explains, ‘the most recent meningococcal meningitis pandemic began in the mid-1990s. In 1996, almost 190,000 cases were notified to WHO in Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Niger, Nigeria and other countries.
How was meningitis treated in the 1960s?
In the 1930s meningitis vaccines that were safe, stable and effective against pneumococcal meningitis were produced for the first time, followed in the 1960s by vaccines against meningococcal meningitis.
Who was the first person to get meningitis?
Meningitis outbreak was first recorded in Geneva in 1805. Gaspard Vieusseux (1746-1814) and Andre Matthey (1778-1842) in Geneva, and Elisa North (1771-1843) in Massachusetts, described epidemic (meningococcal) meningitis. Several other epidemics in Europe and the United States were described shortly afterward.
Who founded meningitis?
Organisms causing meningitis were identified in the late 19th century including Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis and Haemophilus influenzae. Vladimir Kernig (1840-1917) and Josef Brudzinski (1874-1917) described their eponymous signs in 1882 and 1909.
Who invented meningitis?
The first evidence that linked bacterial infection as a cause of meningitis was written by Austrian bacteriology Anton Vaykselbaum who described meningococcal bacteria in 1887.
What country has the most cases of meningitis?
Meningococcal disease occurs worldwide, with the highest incidence of disease found in the ‘meningitis belt’ of sub-Saharan Africa.
What diseases are pandemics?
Major pandemics and epidemics such as plague, cholera, flu, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) have already afflicted humanity. The world is now facing the new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.