Jeff Beck dies: what are the risks and how to protect yourself from bacterial meningitis

Jeff Beck, considered one of the most influential guitarists of all time, has died aged 78.

The musician’s family shared the news on social media. “After contracting bacterial meningitis, he passed away peacefully yesterday (1/10). We ask for privacy as we process this tremendous loss,” the note concludes.

Beck replaced guitarist Eric Clapton in the band The Yardbirds and, years later, formed a new group in partnership with singer Rod Stewart.

According to BBC News, “Beck’s timbre, presence and, most importantly, volume redefined guitar use in 1960s music and influenced movements such as heavy metal, jazz-rock and even punk”.

But what is bacterial meningitis, the cause of the guitarist’s death? Find out below about the causes, modes of transmission, risk groups, diagnostic methods, treatment and prevention of this disease.

What is bacterial meningitis?

In summary, meningitis is an inflammatory process that affects the meninges, membranes that cover and protect the brain and spinal cord.

This inflammation can be caused by several agents. The most common are viruses and bacteria.

The United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) points out that, despite being more common, viral meningitis is less aggressive and the vast majority of patients recover.

Bacterial meningitis — which, as the name implies, is caused by bacteria — is usually more serious.

The Brazilian Society of Immunizations (SBIM) estimates that between 20 and 30% of patients diagnosed with the bacterial version of the disease die. “Of the survivors, 10 to 20% are left with some sequel, such as deafness, amputation of limbs or neurological impairments”, calculates the entity.

Several micro-organisms can cause such a condition. According to the Ministry of Health, the most common agent in Brazil is meningococcus (Neisseria meningitidis), followed by pneumococcus (Streptococcus pneumoniae), by Koch’s bacillus (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) and fur Haemophilus influenzae.

The ministry estimates that, from 2007 to 2020, the country recorded 87,900 cases and 5,500 deaths from bacterial meningitis.

What are the symptoms and ways of transmission?

The United Kingdom Public Health Service (NHS) explains that meningitis is transmitted from person to person through coughing, sneezing, kissing and talking.

Droplets of saliva and secretions that come out of the nose or mouth bring the bacteria, which end up in another person’s body and start an infection.

SBIm adds that “approximately 10% of the population may be asymptomatic carriers of the bacteria [causadoras de meningite] and passing them on unknowingly, particularly teenagers and young adults”.

The Johns Hopkins Health Center in the United States points out that the main symptoms of bacterial meningitis are:

• Pain or stiffness in the neck and back of the neck;
• Headache;
• High fever;
• Mental confusion or excessive sleepiness;
• Appearance of purple spots, similar to bruises, on the skin;
• Reddened or irritated skin;
• Photophobia, or sensitivity to light.

In younger children, other signs of the disease include:

• Irritability;
• Vomiting and high fever;
• Frequent crying;
• Swelling of the head;
• Lack of appetite;
• Convulsions.

The Johns Hopkins center reports that “symptoms usually appear quickly, within hours or overnight.”

Seeking an emergency room quickly, therefore, is essential to make the diagnosis and start treatment as soon as possible.

What are the risk groups?

The Mayo Clinic, in the United States, lists five situations that increase the risk of having bacterial meningitis:

• Not getting vaccinated: the risk is greater in those who have not taken the recommended doses of immunizers (we’ll talk more about vaccination below);
• Age: children under 5 are the most vulnerable. The disease is also often frequent in adolescents and young adults, up to 20 years old;
• Living in a community environment: college students who share dorms, individuals on military bases, and children in day care centers or boarding schools are at risk, as the bacteria can be transmitted more easily in these environments;
• Gestation;
• Immune system failures: individuals with cancer, HIV infection, diabetes, transplant recipients and other conditions tend to have lower immunity, which opens the way for the invasion of bacteria.

Doctor Rosana Richtmann, director of the Immunization Committee of the Brazilian Society of Infectious Diseases, explains that adolescents have the disease more frequently due to behavioral issues typical of their age.

“This is the age of sharing glasses, kisses, meetings in clubs and closed places…”, list. “And all this facilitates the transmission of bacteria.”

Among the elderly, explains the expert, the risk of complications is related to immune evasion, or the decrease in the body’s ability to fight infections.

“Over the years, the defense system becomes more fragile and conditions that were simple before can become more complicated”, points out the doctor, who is also a member of the Instituto de Infectologia Emílio Ribas, in São Paulo.

How is meningitis diagnosed and treated?

The CDC explains that the detection of bacterial meningitis depends on laboratory tests, done through the collection of blood or spinal cord fluid.

These tests assess the presence of bacteria causing inflammation in the meninges.

From then on, the doctor will prescribe specific antibiotics capable of killing that group of microorganisms.

The NHS adds that many patients also need supportive care, which includes a drip and oxygen.

Can you prevent bacterial meningitis?

Vaccination is the main way to reduce the risk of suffering from this disease.

There is no single immunizer capable of dealing with all these bacteria, but several different doses, indicated in schemes and for different age groups, are essential to reduce the risk of infection and complications.

To reduce the likelihood of having meningitis (and other infections), the Unified Health System (SUS) currently offers the following vaccines:

• Meningococcal C: protects against meningococcal serogroup C. The scheme includes three doses: the first at three months of life, the second at five months and the third at 12 months;
• Meningococcal ACWY: protects against serogroups A, C, W and Y of meningococci. Public authorities indicate a single dose for adolescents aged 11 or 12 years;
• BCG: protects against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Single dose, applied soon after birth;
• Pentavalent: decreases the risk of infection by Haemophilus influenzae, which causes meningitis, diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, among others. Vaccination schedule of three doses, given at two, four and six months of the baby’s life;
• Pneumococcal 10-valent: guard against the Streptococcus pneumoniae. There are three doses, given at two, four and twelve months of life;
• Pneumococcal 23-valent: It also prevents infections by Streptococcus pneumoniae. Available for the entire indigenous population over 5 years old who have not taken the 10-valent pneumococcal and for individuals over 60 years old who are in nursing homes and halfway houses;
• Pneumococcal 13-valent: third vaccine available to protect against Streptococcus pneumoniae. It is only available on the public network for some special groups, such as individuals with HIV infection, cancer patients and transplant recipients.

Richtmann draws attention to the low vaccination coverage against these micro-organisms that cause the disease.

“With the introduction of these vaccines in the national calendar more than a decade ago, the incidence of meningitis plummeted throughout Brazil”, he recalls.

“Therefore, I am concerned about the low adherence to these vaccines more recently. Those who have not been vaccinated are at risk of suffering from a serious and potentially fatal disease”, he adds.

According to the DataSUS portal, only 72% of children received the meningococcal C vaccine in 2021 (data for 2022 is still being updated).

ACWY meningococcal disease, aimed at adolescents, had an average coverage of 30 to 40% in recent years — the goal would be to keep rates above 80%.