Why is meningitis so dangerous? - Melvin Sanicas

Prevodilac: Aleksandar Bošnjak Lektor: Ivana Krivokuća

In 1987, tens of thousands of people

Godine 1987, desetine hiljada ljudi

gathered in Saudi Arabia for the annual Hajj pilgrimage.

okupilo se u Saudijskoj Arabiji za godišnji hadžiluk.

But what started out as a celebration led to a health crisis:

Ono što je počelo kao proslava dovelo je do zdravstvene krize:

just a few days after the pilgrimage,

samo nekoliko dana nakon hadžiluka,

more than 2,000 cases of meningitis broke out

pojavilo se više od 2000 slučajeva meningitisa

spreading across Saudi Arabia and the rest of the world.

koji se širio po Saudijskoj Arabiji i po ostatku sveta.

The outbreak was so fierce

Izbijanje je bilo tako žestoko

that it was believed to have sparked a wave of deadly meningitis epidemics

da se verovalo da je podstaklo talas smrtonosne epidemije meningitisa

that ultimately infected tens of thousands of people worldwide.

od kojeg se naposletku inficiralo desetine hiljada ljudi širom sveta.

Meningitis is the inflammation of the meninges,

Meningitis je zapaljenje moždanih opni,

three tissue layers responsible for protecting the brain and spinal cord.

tri sloja tkiva koja su odgovorna za zaštitu mozga i kičmene moždine.

What makes meningitis so dangerous compared to other diseases

Ono što čini meningitis toliko opasnim u poređenju sa drugim bolestima

is the sheer speed with which it invades a person’s body.

je brzina kojom napada nečije telo.

In the worst cases, it causes death within a day.

U najgorim slučajevima prouzrokuje smrt u roku od jednog dana.

Fortunately, that’s rare for patients who receive early medical treatment.

Na sreću, to je retko kod pacijenata koji rano prime terapiju.

The disease primarily comes in three forms:

Bolest uglavnom dolazi u tri oblika:

fungal, viral, and bacterial-- the last being the most deadly by far,

gljivičnom, virusnom i bakterijskom - poslednji je najsmrtonosniji,

and what we’ll focus on.

i na njega ćemo se fokusirati.

People usually contract bacterial meningitis by breathing in

Ljudi uglavnom pokupe bakterijiski meningitis tako što udahnu

tiny particles of mucus and saliva that spray into the air

male čestice sluzi i pljuvačke koji se rasrprše u vazduhu

when an infected person sneezes or coughs.

kad zaražena osoba kije ili kašlje.

It can also be transmitted through kissing,

Može se preneti i ljubljenjem,

or sharing cigarettes, toothbrushes or utensils.

deljenjem cigareta, četikica za zube ili pribora za jelo.

Some people can be infected and carry the disease

Neki ljudi mogu biti zaraženi i da imaju bolest

without showing symptoms or getting sick,

a da ne ispolje simptome niti se razbole,

which helps the disease spread quickly to others.

što pomaže bolesti da se brže širi do drugih.

Once the bacteria enter the nose, mouth, and throat,

Onda kad bakterije uđu u nos, usta i grlo,

they cross the surrounding membranes and enter the bloodstream.

one pređu okolne membrane i uđu u krvotok.

From there, bacteria have rapid access to the body’s tissues

Odatle bakterije imaju ubrzan pristup telesnim tkivima,

--including a membrane called the blood-brain barrier.

uključujući i membranu zvanu krvno-moždana barijera.

This is made of a tight mesh of cells which separate blood vessels from the brain,

Ona je napravljena od tesne mreže ćelija koje odvajaju krvne sudove od mozga,

and block everything except for a specific set of particles,

i blokiraju sve osim specifičnih čestica

including water molecules and some gases.

koje uključuju molekule vode i neke gasove.

But in ways that scientists are still trying to understand,

Na načine koje naučnici još pokušavaju da shvate,

meningitis bacteria can trick the barrier into letting them through.

bakterija meningitisa može da obmane barijeru i da prođe kroz nju.

Inside the brain, the bacteria swiftly infect the meninges.

Unutar mozga, bakterije brzo inficiraju moždane opne.

This triggers inflammation as the body’s immune response kicks into overdrive,

Ovo pokreće zapaljenje dok imuni sistem ubrzava svoj rad,

bringing on fever and intense headaches.

što dovodi do temperature i jakih glavobolja.

As swelling in the meninges worsens, the neck begins to stiffen.

Kako se otok u moždanim opnama pogoršava, vrat počinje da se koči.

Swelling in the brain disrupts its normal function--

Otok u mozgu remeti njegovo normalno funkcionisanje,

causing symptoms like hearing loss and extreme light sensitivity.

prouzrokujući gubitak sluha i ekstremnu osetljivost na svetlost.

As pressure increases in the cranium, it may also make the person confused--

Kako se pritisak u lobanji povećava, može i da dovede do zbunjenosti osobe,

one of the hallmarks of the disease.

što je jedno od obeležja ove bolesti.

A few hours in, the rapidly multiplying bacteria start to release toxins,

Nakon nekoliko sati,

ove bakterije koje se brzo razmnožavaju počinju da ispuštaju otrove,

leading to septicemia, also known as blood poisoning.

čime dovode do sepse, takođe poznate i kao trovanje krvi.

This breaks down blood vessels,

Ovo razbija krvne sudove,

letting blood seep out and form what starts out looking like a rash,

dopuštajući krvi da curi napolje i da formira nešto što izgleda kao osip,

and evolves into big discoloured blots beneath the skin.

a potom se razvija u velike mrlje ispod kože.

At the same time, these toxins burn through oxygen in the blood,

U isto vreme, ovi otrovi sagorevaju kiseonik u krvi,

reducing the amount that gets to major organs like the lungs and kidneys.

smanjujući količinu koja dospeva do glavnih organa poput pluća i bubrega.

That increases the chance of organ shut down

To povećava šansu da organi prestanu sa radom,

--and alongside spreading septicemia, threatens death.

a pored širenja sepse, preti smrt.

That all sounds scary, but doctors are so good at treating meningitis

Sve to zvuči strašno, ali doktori su toliko dobri u lečenju meningitisa

that a visit to the hospital can drastically reduce an adult’s risk of dying from it.

da poseta bolnici može drastično smanjiti rizik da odrasla osoba umre od njega.

The longer it’s left untreated, though,

Što je duže nelečen,

the more likely it will lead to lasting damage.

to je veća šansa da će doći do trajnih posledica.

If declining oxygen levels cause cell death in extreme parts of the body

Ako opadajući nivoi kiseonika prouzrokuju smrt ćelija u ekstremitetima -

--like fingers, toes, arms and legs-- the risk of amputation goes up.

u prstima, rukama i nogama - rizik od amputacije se povećava.

And if bacterial toxins accumulate in the brain and trigger cell death,

A ako se otrovi bakterija nagomilaju u mozgu i pokrenu smrt ćelija,

meningitis could also cause long-term brain damage and memory loss.

meningitis može prouzrokovati dugoročno oštećenje mozga i gubitak pamćenja.

So fast treatment, or better yet, prevention, is critical.

Brza terapija, ili još bolje, prevencija, je presudna.

That's why most countries have vaccines that defend against the disease

Zato većina država ima vakcine koje štite od bolesti

in its deadliest forms.

u njenom najsmrtonosnijem obliku.

Those are usually given to the people who are most at risk--like young children,

One se uglavnom daju ljudima koji su najviše pod rizikom -

deci na ranom uzrastu,

people with weak immune systems, or people who gather in large groups

ljudima sa slabim imunim sistemima ili onima koji se okupljaju u velike grupe

where an outbreak of meningitis could potentially happen.

gde bi meningitis potencijalno mogao da izbije.

In addition to those gatherings,

Pored takvih okupljanja,

meningitis is most common in a region called the meningitis belt

meningitis je najčešći u regiji zvanoj „pojas meningitisa”

that stretches across Africa, though cases do happen all over the world.

koji se prostire duž Afrike, mada slučajevi se dešavaju u celom svetu.

If you’re concerned that you or someone you know may have meningitis,

Ako ste zabrinuti da vi ili neko koga poznajete možda ima meningitis,

get to the doctor as soon as possible;

idite kod lekara što je pre moguće;

quick action could save your life.

brzo delovanje bi moglo da vam spasi život.