According to www.inform.kz number of meningitis cases has reached 30 in Almaty in the end of May this year.
According to the information from Almaty based medical center – IMC this number is not an epidemic. The schools and kindergartens are not closed for quarantine and there is no need to refrain from visiting them, but it is very important to care about personal hygiene (frequently washing hands and similar) and observe an early appearance of symptoms in case of infection.
Annually registered 0.19-0.9 cases of this infection per 100,000 of population in the developed countries.
Infection caused by meningococcus may appear as meningitis (inflammation of the meninges) or as meningococcal septicaemia (widespread infection)
Meningococcus is transmitted from person-to-person through droplets of respiratory or throat secretions from carriers, but only with very close and extended contact (for example between family members, living in close quarters, with kisses, sneezing, coughing on someone etc.)
Since meningococcus is a bacteria, not a virus, the spreading is much slower than, say, the influenza virus. Infection does not occur with a simple contact or with a short term stay in one room with a patient. Meningococcal meningitis is NOT transmitted through water in swimming pools!
Usually it takes 3 to 7 days between the entry of the bacteria into the body and occurrence of the symptoms.
The first symptoms of meningococcal infection are indistinguishable from the common cold but they are very quickly progressing.
To learn more about the symptoms please visit the following links.
http://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/meningitis/en/