Tuberculous meningitis. The Ministry of Health told about symptoms, risk groups and available vaccine

december 7 died ukrainian singer Mykhailo Klymenko was the founder and frontman of the band Adam. His life was taken by tuberculous meningitis. The Ministry of Health in response to a request LIGA.net told in detail what kind of disease it is and how to protect yourself from it.

Tuberculous meningitis is a form of tuberculosis of the nervous system. It looks like an inflammation of the membranes of the brain caused by the mycobacterium tuberculosis. This is an extra-pulmonary form of the disease, which usually occurs rarely (less than 0.5% of all forms of the disease). Infection occurs through the air only from a person who is already sick and not being treated.

"That is, a person who suffers only from extra-pulmonary forms of tuberculosis, in particular tuberculous meningitis without lung damage, does not pose a danger to others, as it does not emit the tuberculosis pathogen," the Ministry of Health emphasized.

Most often, tuberculous meningitis occurs as a complication of pulmonary tuberculosis in case of late diagnosis and lack of proper treatment.

Who can get sick:

→ people with weakened immune systems: HIV infection, congenital immunodeficiency, immunosuppressive therapy, etc;

→ people with chronic diseases and bad habits;

→ people who are in long-term contact with a TB patient who is not receiving treatment;

→ people with nutritional deficiencies.

Symptoms of tuberculous meningitis can be similar to other neurological diseases. Also, the changes cannot be detected by instrumental research methods (MRI, for example). Because of this, the diagnosis sometimes takes a long time.

Tuberculous meningitis can only be diagnosed by detecting the mycobacterium tuberculosis with a rapid molecular genetic test.

For people at risk, it is important to have an annual chest X-ray to detect TB in time. If you have symptoms of common tuberculosis (cough lasting more than two weeks, fever, shortness of breath, sweating, especially at night, weight loss, etc.), you should consult your family doctor.

The only available tuberculosis vaccine today, it is BCG (Bacillus Calmette-Guérin), which is administered at birth in the hospital. It effectively protects against severe forms of the disease. However, the Ministry of Health emphasized that protection against mycobacterium tuberculosis infection is not constant across different age groups.

BCG is most effective in protecting against the most severe forms of tuberculosis, tuberculous meningitis and other generalized forms of the disease, primarily in children under five years of age. In adulthood, the vaccine is no longer as effective.

Preventive TB treatment is available for people at risk. Before that, it is recommended to test to confirm infection with mycobacterium tuberculosis using a Mantoux test, a gamma interferon release test, or new skin tests that will be available in Ukraine from 2026.

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