SERIOUS ILLNESS: St. Olav’s hospital contributes with infection tracking. Photo: Gorm Kallestad / NTB
A high school student from Heim municipality in Trøndelag has been diagnosed with infectious meningitis.
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The school management at Meldal upper secondary school in Orkland municipality has been informed and information is being sent out to affected students and teachers, writes Newspaper Sør-Trøndelag.
People who are defined as close contacts have been contacted by the municipal superintendent in either Heim or Orkland, and are offered preventive treatment in the form of an antibiotic tablet.
Has received treatment
– Everyone who is close contact has already received treatment, says municipal superintendent Cecilie Hatlenes in Heim to VG.
The Institute of Public Health also recommends a vaccine for those who have received antibiotic treatment.
Hatlenes does not want to say how many close contacts are involved for the sake of those involved.
The municipal superintendent refers to St. Olav’s hospital for the status of the infected pupil. VG has tried to contact the hospital, but has not yet received a reply.
Infectious spores
The municipality is working to find out where the infection is coming from, in collaboration with St. Olav’s hospital.
– We do not know the origin of the infection and infection spores in the ordinary way, says Hatlenes.
In a press release urges the municipality to be aware of signs of serious illness in people in the immediate environment.
– We ask everyone to take care to avoid infection. Avoid sharing bottles and glasses with others, avoid too much alcohol and get enough sleep and rest, says Hatlenes in the press release.
Close contacts who experience symptoms are asked to contact a doctor.
18-year-old died
Earlier this year, an 18-year-old in Bærum died of infectious meningitis after returning home from a Russian trip in Greece.
According to FHI, it is not always easy to know if you are ill, because infectious meningitis can resemble hangovers and flu. Later in the course of the disease, you may get small, red dots on the skin that do not disappear if you press on them with a glass.
FHI recommends contacting a healthcare professional in the event of these symptoms:
- Fever
- Stiff neck
- Headache
- Tired
- Vomiting and diarrhea
- Rash
Also read: Stian (19) died of meningitis
Info
How to reduce the chance of infection:
There are two types of meningococcal vaccines that work effectively against infectious meningitis. One type protects against meningococcal bacteria of types A, C, W and Y and the other protects against type B. The Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI) has previously informed VG.
As there have been no cases of type B disease among young people since 2014, it is mainly the ACWY vaccine that FHI recommends for young people between the ages of 16 and 19. The ACWY vaccine does not provide protection against type B disease.
Other advice from FHI to reduce the chance of getting infected is:
- Do not share bottles and glasses with others
- Get enough sleep and rest
- Avoid too much alcohol
- Do not smoke or sniff
- Avoid clinging to many people
Show morePublished:
Published: 26.12.23 at 23:12
Updated: 26.12.23 at 23:47
2023-12-26 22:12:57
#Meningitis #detected #Heim #Trøndelag
