MANILA, Philippines — Two pediatric experts are calling for more awareness on invasive meningococcal disease or IMD in the Philippines given the number of local cases that lead to fatalities.
Drs. Anna Ong-Lim and Lulu Bravo, who are also infectious disease specialists, led a media roundtable on November 21 in a Manila hotel to discuss how severe a health risk IMD is especially if left untreated.
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IMD is caused by a bacteria called Neisseria meningitidis commonly found in one's nose and throat, spreading through coughing, sneezing, or any salivary exchange (e.g. kissing. sharing utensils, drinking from the same container).
Ong-Lim presented data that one in every two IMD cases in the Philippines result in death despite receiving medical care, a distant comparison to neighbors Thailand (37.5%) and Vietnam (8.7 - 34%).
She added that young children are at the highest risk as IMD can progress rapidly, manifesting as meningitis or meningococcal sepsis. The disease can be fatal within 24 hours after symptoms develop.
Early symptoms include headache, sore throat, feeling thirsty, general aches, and fever. After 10 hours, nausea, vomiting, leg pain, immobility, drowsinees, and difficulty breathing follows. When the condition nears 24 hours, patients can experience diarrhea, neck stiffness, cold hands and feet, an abnormal skin color, and a rash.
High-risk individuals include lab personnel, adolescents, the military, and travelers to endemic religions or pilgrims.
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Ong-Lim explained adolescents and military personnel are at risk because they often come together in intimate settings, which means, like piligrims, concert attendees could be at risk too.
The doctor added that IMD survivors still have lifelong challenges, such as anxiety, motor deficits, hearing loss, learning difficulties, seizures, and amputations.
The doctor said IMD can be managed through early microbial therapy (intravenous antibiotics within an hour) and supportive treatment. All laboratory-confirmed cases are monitored through the Philippine Integrated Disease Surveillance System.
Bravo also showed data from the past six years that Serogroup B, the leading cause of IMD, is the most common strain across all Philippine age groups, even accounting for 100% of all cases in 2022.
Conjugate vaccines for multiple serogroups are available, but Serogroup B requires its own vaccine because of its distinct bacterial structure.
Bravo stressed that healthcare workers should get vaccinated before coming into contact with anyone with IMD.
Bravo also underscored the importance of considering IMD upon the manifestation of said symptoms, considering its fast progression.
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