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Meningitis and septicaemia - sound information in 22 languages
01 November 2007
Meningitis and septicaemia, the blood poisoning form of the disease, can strike anyone of any age with devastating consequences. As part of Meningitis Research Foundation's commitment to making life-saving information available to everyone, the national charity is launching translations in 22 different languages.
The information explains how to recognise the symptoms of meningitis and septicaemia and the importance of immunisation for babies and children, and for adults travelling to at risk countries.
Available in both sound and written form from this website here , the languages are:
Albanian; Arabic; Bengali; Bulgarian; Chinese; Czech; English; French; Greek; Gujarati;
Hindi; Irish Gaelic; Polish; Portuguese; Punjabi; Romanian; Somali; Spanish; Turkish; Urdu; Vietnamese and Welsh.
This free information is for those people whose first language is not English and for those who work with and inform those communities. Additionally, an interpretation service in 120 languages is available through the Foundation's Freefone 24 hour helpline.
Denise Vaughan, Meningitis Research Foundation's Chief Executive said: "We hope this new information will save lives by helping many more people understand the symptoms of these dreadful diseases and the vaccines which are available for some forms of meningitis and septicaemia."
Media Contact: Julia Warren 01454 281811 or 07711 057875
Notes to Editor :
- Meningitis Research Foundation currently funds 18 research projects. Since it was founded in 1989, the charity has awarded 118 research grants, leading to many advances in the prevention, detection and treatment of meningitis and septicaemia.
- Meningitis Research Foundation operates a Freefone 24 hour helpline - 080 8800 3344 - providing information on meningitis and septicaemia to the general public and health professionals.
Symptoms of meningitis:
Fever; vomiting; severe headache; rash (not present in all cases); stiff neck*; dislike of bright lights*; very sleepy/vacant/difficult to wake; confused/delirious; seizures (fits) may also be seen. (*Unusual in young children.)
Symptoms of septicaemia (blood poisoning form of the disease):
Fever; vomiting; limb/joint/muscle pain (sometimes stomach pain/diarrhoea); pale or mottled skin; cold hands and feet; shivering; breathing fast/breathless; rash (anywhere on the body); very sleepy/vacant/difficult to wake; confused/delirious.
Other symptoms in babies include: tense or bulging fontanelle (soft spot); refusing to feed; being irritable when picked up with a high pitched or moaning cry; a stiff body with jerky movements or else floppy and lifeless.