Meningoencephalitis Gummous

**Gummy meningoencephalitis** is an acute infectious disease accompanied by the development of meningitis and encephalitis with severe damage to the brain substance and its membranes. It is observed almost exclusively in children. Before the discovery of measles in the USSR, the disease was more widespread; In some cases, this disease in the USSR is called mumps encephalitis, because its outbreaks often occur after measles.

Epidemiology M.-E. usually does not have massive epidemic outbreaks. The disease occurs throughout the year. Clinical manifestations are most intense in the spring and autumn months. Outbreaks are mainly observed in the spring as a result of the onset of sexual intercourse after winter. The main route of transmission of infection is contact, transmission factors are contaminated dishes, toys, children's potties, urine and feces, skin surface, etc. In rare cases, airborne transmission of infection is possible. The greatest danger is posed by children under 1.5 years of age, among whom the mortality rate reaches 50%. Despite the frequency of the disease, the encephalic process in the form of a true epidemic has not been recorded to date. When analyzing cases of confirmed disease over the past 58 years (1948-1967), 4535 encephalitic reactions caused by meningococcal infection were registered, including cases of the disease dating back to the period after 1968. In 2463 of these cases, an epidemic nature was identified - 54-65 cases in year, over a long period of time. Despite the general recognition of the bacterial etiology of meningomyelitis, in terms of etiology, two types of pathogens are distinguished: A and B. Isolation of strains of Haemophilus influenzae group B is significantly difficult. The etiological factor of M. g. is Neisseria meningitidis group B. But due to the significant practical significance of M. encephalitis and the epidemic nature of which for the population is undoubted, typing of the strain of its pathogen has become the subject of research in a number of scientific institutions of Ukraine: Institute of Microbiology and Virology named after. D.K. Zabolotny Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Ukrainian Research Institute of Vaccination and Serums, Institute of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases of the Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine and other institutions. The studies were carried out in order to identify both the external and internal genetic structure of the pathogen using the polymerase method