An urgent urgent health warning has been issued after cases of a potentially lethal infectious disease were detected in Britain.
Invasive meningococcal disease has been traced to people returning from Saudi Arabia.
An urgent urgent health warning has been issued after cases of a potentially lethal infectious disease were detected in Britain.
Invasive meningococcal disease has been traced to people returning from Saudi Arabia.
Meningococcal disease is serious and can be deadly “in hours”, warns the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It is a major cause of septicaemia and meningitis, which kills one in 10 infected individuals.
Research has found that nearly 90 percent of children and teenagers who are killed by invasive meningococcal disease die within 24 hours of diagnosis. According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, it has an eight to 15 percent case-fatality ratio.
Survivors may still suffer from neurological and hearing impairment or amputation in up to 20 percent of cases, the health body warns.
The symptoms of meningococcal disease can vary based on the type of illness. Common symptoms of meningococcal meningitis include sudden fever, headache, and stiff neck.
The Foreign Office-supported website Travel Health Pro revealed that as of 21 June 2024, a total of 14 instances of the potentially disease have been identified in people returning from an Umrah pilgrimage, three cases of which have been detected in the UK.
The United States has recorded five cases, France four, and Norway and the Netherlands each with one case.
www.gbnews.com/health/meningococcal-disease-symptoms-uk-outbreak