Abstract
Meningococcal meningitis is a serious health condition. It is characterized by inflammation of the brain and spinal cord membranes. The two form the central nervous system. As such, the disease causes serious neurological problems. The condition is caused by a bacterium commonly known as meningococcus. In most cases, it attacks children. As such, it affects the development of their central nervous system. It also causes physical disabilities, such as deafness. It is important to conduct studies on the condition to protect the population from its impacts.
Description of Disease and Data Sources
Although it is a rare condition, meningococcal meningitis is a serious health issue. It is an infection of the central nervous system (CNS). It is associated with the inflammation of the membranes covering the spinal cord and the brain. The disease is caused by meningococcus bacteria (Morens, Folkers & Fauci, 2004). It is the main cause of meningitis in children. The disease is often fatal when not treated early. In most cases, it causes serious neurological complications, such as brain damage. It may also cause disabilities, such as deafness. To better understand the health condition, the author would gather information and data from various sources. The sources include journal articles, books, and newspapers (Guidotti, 2004).
Justification of Data Sources Identified
The reason for selecting the indicated assortment of sources is to get the opinion of different stakeholders in the health sector (Kukafka & Yasnoff, 2007). Books are mainly written by professionals. Journal articles, on the other hand, are the works of researchers. Newspaper articles, on their part, can be written by health professionals or other parties interested in the condition. By using this variety of sources, the author will get a clear picture of how different people view the condition.
Case Protocol for Data Sources
When selecting the data sources, it would be important to go for those that would provide relevant information. In this case, the author will use recent and up-to-date resources. The reason behind this is to access the most recent information on meningococcal meningitis (Bernheim & Melnick, 2008). As such, up-to-date data will be gathered. Consequently, surveillance of the disease would be improved. The reason is that the milestones achieved in the health sector with regards to the condition will be put into consideration (Bernheim & Melnick, 2008). The accuracy of the data will improve surveillance by providing a clear account of the situation on the ground (Gebbie & Turnock, 2006).
Identification of Sources
As already indicated, several sources will be used to provide data relating to meningococcal meningitis. Medical journals would be the most important sources of data. They will provide information gathered by both scholars and professionals in the field. Changes in prevalence or pathology of the disease would most probably be reported in medical journals (Lombardo & Buckeridge, 2007). Newspaper articles would also be important in providing data touching on the health condition. The publications will provide information that is not technical about the disease. Such information includes prevalence rates and reports of new infections (Becker, 2003). Books will also be used as sources of data. They contain documented scientific facts. Any changes in the behavior of the causative pathogens or the disease itself will be noted by analyzing what is documented in the books.
Conclusion
Meningococcal meningitis is a bacterial infection. It is associated with the swelling of the membranes covering the brain and the spinal cord. As a result, the infection may lead to neurological problems and physical disability. To better understand the disease, one needs to seek data from a variety of sources, such as books, journals, and newspapers. Recent sources are more preferred since they contain up-to-date information.
References
Becker, J. (2003). High-tech health watch draws cash, questions. The Washington Post. Web.
Bernheim, R., & Melnick, A. (2008). Principled leadership in public health: Integrating ethics into practice and management. Journal of Public Health Management & Practice, 14(4), 358-366.
Gebbie, K., & Turnock, B. (2006). The public health workforce, 2006: New challenges. Health Affairs, 25(4), 923-933.
Guidotti, T. (2004). Why do public health practitioners hesitate?. Journal of Homeland Security & Emergency Management, 1(4), 1-17.
Kukafka, R., & Yasnoff, W. (2007). Public health informatics. Journal of Biomedical Informatics, 40(4), 365-369.
Lombardo, J., & Buckeridge, D. (2007). Disease surveillance: A public health informatics approach. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley-Interscience.
Morens, D., Folkers, G., & Fauci, A. (2004). The challenge of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. Nature, 430(6996), 242-249.