Comprehensive notes on meningitis, vaccination strategies, and key respiratory pathogens (copy)

Meningitis

Inflammation of the meninges surrounding the brain and spinal cord.

Encephalitis

Inflammation of the brain itself.

Meningococcal meningitis

Meningitis caused by Neisseria meningitidis.

Droplet precautions

Infection control measures to prevent transmission via respiratory droplets (>5 µm).

Airborne precautions

Infection control measures for airborne transmission (<5 µm).

Post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP)

Preventive treatment after exposure to reduce infection risk.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)

Preventive treatment before exposure in high-risk individuals.

DTP/DTaP vaccine

Combination vaccine covering Diphtheria (D), Tetanus (T), Pertussis (P).

Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc)

CF-associated pathogen with limited treatment options and no vaccine.

Cepacia syndrome

Necrotizing infection associated with Bcc in CF patients.

100-day cough

Common public-health description of the pertussis illness course.

Vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV)

Poliovirus strains derived from oral vaccines that can, in rare cases, circulate and cause disease.

Measles

A vaccine-preventable viral disease that can lead to severe complications.

Pertussis

A vaccine-preventable bacterial disease known as whooping cough, characterized by severe coughing fits.

Triage

The process of determining the priority of patients' treatments based on the severity of their condition.