Meningococcal Disease

Symptoms can appear from 1 to 10 days after a person is infected and can include: 

• High fever
• Very bad headache
• Stiff neck
• Nausea and vomiting
• Overall feeling of being unwell
• Red spots, or tiny pin-size hemorrhages or bruises on the skin

Some people develop infections in their throat or nose without getting sick. They can still spread the meningococcus bacterium to others around them. 

In Quebec, between 5% and 10% of healthy people are carriers of meningococcus bacteria, which means it is in their body, but they don’t have symptoms.

Meningococcal disease spreads through saliva, spit or mucus from an infected person to other people. This happens through:

• coughing
• sneezing
• close face-to-contact

It can spread by: 

• kissing, 
• sharing food, drinks, utensils, drinking bottles, cigarettes, vapes, toothbrushes, mouth guards used for sports, lipstick or lip balm, mouthpieces of musical instruments

A person infected is contagious 7 days before they show symptoms, and up to 24 hours after they start antibiotic treatment.

Meningococcal disease does not spread through casual contact or by breathing air where someone who is infected has been. 

See a health care provider right away if you develop symptoms within 10 days of being in close contact with a person who has meningococcal disease.

Anyone can be infected and develop a meningococcal disease. Some people are at higher risk, including:

• Children younger than 18 months
• Teenagers, young adults
• People with weak immune systems due to: 
  • Certain medical treatments (for example, eculizumab injections). 
  • not having a spleen or having a spleen that doesn’t work.

• Arthritis
• Hearing loss (deafness)
• Heart problems
• Blood circulation problems
• Permanent brain damage 
• Amputation of hands or feet. 

Severe infections can lead to death even if medical treatment is provided for an infection.  

Meningococcal disease is treated with antibiotics and usually involves a stay in hospital. 

Early detection, diagnosis and treatment is critical to reduce the risk of complications and death.

If you have symptoms or have had close contact with someone who is infected, call your CMC and ask to see a doctor. Only a doctor can diagnose meningococcal disease.

Household and other close contacts will be offered antibiotics, and sometimes a vaccine, depending on the situation. 

Vaccination is the best way to protect yourself against meningococcal infections.

There are several vaccines available for different types of meningococcal infections: 

• In Quebec, 18-month-old toddlers receive a dose of the meningococcal C vaccine.
• The meningococcal ACWY vaccines are given to students in Secondary 3.
• Secondary 4 and 5 students in the class of 2023 – 2024 will be offered a catch-up dose of the meningococcal ACWY vaccine.

In Quebec, meningococcal infections are a mandatory reportable disease by law. This means laboratory staff and health professionals must notify Public Health authorities when they diagnose a case.

Mandatory reportable diseases include infections with a risk of spreading to others and causing serious health problems. 

The CBHSSJB’s infectious diseases team receives MADO reports. They identify and notify close contacts. They also assess the need for preventive treatment (antibiotics, vaccination).

The Public Health Department at the Cree Health Board also collects data about mandatory reportable diseases to better understand the frequency of infections in Eeyou Istchee. 

This helps identify potential outbreaks and possible risk factors that make some people more vulnerable to infection.