Global surge in invasive meningitis, which can cause cognitive decline
Global surge in invasive meningitis, which can cause cognitive decline
2026-05-19
If you have a newborn at home or plan to travel abroad, you need to be extra careful. Recently there have been more and more cases of invasive meningitis in countries Taiwanese love to visit, such as Japan and the UK. The disease does not just affect young children: even young adults are getting infected. It progresses very quickly and is difficult to detect as early symptoms resemble a cold. Long term complications include cognitive decline. Let’s find out more.
For all you parents out there, take note! Alarm bells are ringing again about invasive meningitis. Cases have been reported in nations frequently visited by Taiwanese citizens, including Japan, Vietnam, Canada and the UK. Moreover, it’s not just newborns; even younger adults with relatively strong immune systems are at risk.
Huang Li-min
NTU Hospital
The course of Japanese encephalitis is measured in days; you might start to deteriorate on the first, second, or third day. In contrast, the course of invasive meningitis is measured in hours; you usually start to deteriorate within a few hours, and by 24 hours, you are already in a very poor condition. This disease occurs all over the world, and in the past year, it seems to have been on the rise.
Invasive meningitis progresses much more rapidly than Japanese encephalitis. It is difficult to diagnose in its early stages because its symptoms resemble those of a common cold. Once the disease fully develops, the bacteria can affect the brain, causing convulsions, seizures, and even neurological impairment, resulting in long-term complications and cognitive decline. It may also block blood vessels, leading to amputations or loss of fingers
Huang Li-min
NTU Hospital
It’s a respiratory droplet-transmitted disease. The first thing to do is wash your hands thoroughly, the second is to wear a mask, and the third is to get vaccinated.
Wash your hands frequently, wear a mask, and get vaccinated – these are the key things you need to do to protect yourself and your children.
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#invasivemeningitis #travelhazards #babyhealth
出國注意! 多國爆發"腦膜炎病例" 醫師:三步驟防護
2026-05-19
家中有新生兒或是您要出國，得要多加留意了。最近侵襲性腦膜炎在國際中，又出現案例，而且不只小小孩受影響，就連年輕人都出現病例！醫師提醒，侵襲性腦膜炎，病程快、發病初期症狀不易察覺，提醒民眾戴好口罩、勤洗手，打疫苗，才能守護自身健康。
家長注意了！侵襲性腦膜炎，警訊再現！國人常去的日本、越南、加拿大及英國，都出現案例，而且不只新生兒，就連抵抗力較佳的年輕族群，也同樣面臨威脅！
[[台大醫院小兒科醫師 黃立民]]
“日本腦炎的病程算天的，你可能第一天，第二天，第三天開始惡化，那侵襲性腦膜炎的病程是算小時的，通常是幾個小時就開始明顯惡化，到24小時的時候，就已經整個人很差了，這個疾病全世界都有，那最近這一年，看起來有在增加的趨勢”
比起台灣人熟悉的日本腦炎，侵襲性腦膜炎病程，病程更快，再加上發病之初不易診斷，症狀就像一般感冒。等到整個發病，細菌就會影響腦部，造成抽筋、顛顯，甚至腦功能障礙，留下長期後遺症、智力下降，還可能阻塞血管，導致截肢、斷指。
[[台大醫院小兒科醫師 黃立民]]
“它是一個呼吸道飛沫傳染的疾病，第一個要把手洗乾淨，第二個要把口罩戴起來，第三個方法就是打疫苗”
勤洗手、戴口罩、打疫苗當口訣，保護自己、也保護小孩。
更多新聞內容，請鎖定：
民視台灣台（152頻道）週一至週五晚上9:30
民視新聞台（53頻道）週二至週六凌晨1:00
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