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Sweden confirms meningitis after Japan scout jamboree

All three Scouts were treated in hospital and are “recovering well”.

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Three Scouts from the Highlands have been receiving treatment for meningococcal disease after attending the 23rd World Scouts Jamboree.

While the source of the outbreak has yet to be determined, one possibility is that the scouts had the meningitis-causing pathogens before they arrived in Japan, Nakatani said, noting that 1 to 3 out of 10 people in Europe carry the bacteria.

Several European participants have displayed symptoms, and three cases have been confirmed in Scotland, the health agency said.

Scouts from 161 countries registered to attend this year’s World Scout Jamboree, including a contingent from the Boy Scouts of America. The health agency urged to them to visit a doctor for antibiotics in order to prevent the spread of the highly contagious disease.

Swedish scout Erik Lunner, who had been travelling through Japan since the jamboree ended, was one of those who sought medical care after the warning. “(…) But I still think the probability that I’ve developed it is fairly low”, he told TT on Monday.

Meningitis is a bacterial infection of the lining surrounding the brain and spinal cord that most commonly affects children and teenagers.

Three cases of meningitis among campers who returned back home from Japan have been reported in Scotland, the agency said, adding that it is in touch with relevant authorities from there over the issue.

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Symptoms include high fever, a stiff neck, vomiting and severe headaches.

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