Cases of invasive meningococcal disease spike in Manitoba, with 1 death

Posted on June 18, 2024 by Peggy

Manitoba is seeing an increase in a rare and potentially fatal bacterial infection, with one death already attributed to it.

Since December there have been 19 reported cases of invasive meningococcal disease, in both adults and children, Manitoba Health says.

Typically, about six cases are reported annually.

Of the 19 cases, all but one are are the W strain (or serogroup), which causes meningitis that can lead to severe brain and spinal cord inflammation.

“It’s quite a serious condition and it’s a fairly rapid onset,” said Dr. Carol Kurbis, a provincial medical officer of health in communicable disease control.

Eight of the 19 cases cases were identified within a month-long period, starting in December and ending in January, but the reason for the surge is still a mystery, Kurbis said.

“We don’t really know. There’s a number of countries that are experiencing a rise in meningococcal disease,” she told CBC Information Radio host Marcy Markusa.

“The U.S. is actually seeing a rise in serogroup Y. In Manitoba, 18 of those cases are serogroup W.”

Meningococcal bacteria can be dormant in the back of a person’s throat for years. One in 10 people might carry it and most don’t get sick, Kurbis said.

“But every now and then, it can cause invasive disease, and we’re seeing a little bit more of that in Manitoba this year.”

Many people with the bacteria will not become sick but will spread the disease to others. For those who become sick, symptoms can develop within two to 10 days of exposure, Manitoba Health says.

In the early stages, meningococcal disease can have symptoms similar to other respiratory viral infections, such as COVID-19 or influenza. It can then progress very rapidly, and anyone who develops symptoms should seek urgent medical care immediately, the public health authority says.

The symptoms include:

High fever.
Severe headache.
Drowsiness.
Stiff neck.
Sensitivity to light.
Vomiting and/or diarrhea.
Severe aches or pains.
Dark purple rash.
Loss of consciousness.

As the disease progresses it can also cause shock (low blood pressure) and damage to many organs in the body, which can lead to death.

Public health investigations are being done to determine the cause of the Manitoba outbreak but at this time there are no known links between the cases, Manitoba Health said on its website.

Public health will follow up with all close contacts of cases and offers antibiotics, as well as an immunization if the case is caused by a vaccine-preventable meningococcal strain.

“We really want to have some awareness, so people know that if they are developing very severe symptoms to go and seek care,” Kurbis said.

“But also, we have a vaccine for it, which is a preventative vaccine, so it’s really important that people ensure that their immunizations are up to date.”

There are two vaccines in Manitoba. One is a quadrivalent vaccine, which covers four strains: A,C, Y and W. The other is for the B strain.

“We used to just immunize infants for C, but when we saw the increase in the W disease this year we switched to the quadrivalent vaccine for infants and are offering a catch-up program for any infant born after 2020,” Kurbis said.

The province has been giving meningococcal vaccines since 1995 and is primarily focused on vaccinating the younger population, which is the typical carrier of the bacteria, even though some adults have been affected this year.

The health authority recommends children who are 12 months old and those born between Jan. 1, 2020, and Feb. 28, 2023, get the updated quadrivalent vaccine.

Children in Grade 6 will continue to be routinely offered a vaccine as part of the school immunization program.

People born before 1995 can check with their health providers to see if they are eligible for the vaccine.