Two universities, thousands of miles apart, have felt the effects of meningococcal meningitis on their respective campuses.
The Florida Department of Health confirmed Wednesday, a female student from Florida State University, was positive for Neisseria meningitidis, the causative agent of meningococcal meningitis.
She was hospitalized last week for presumptive meningitis when she started showing symptoms of this very serious disease.
People who had close contact with the patient have been given prophylactic antibiotics.
The current condition of the student has not been released.
What is meningitis, how do you get infected and how can you prevent it?
On the other side of the continent, a memorial service took place Wednesday where meningococcal meningitis tragically took the life of a University of Victoria student last week.
Leo Chan was admitted to Royal Jubilee Hospital on Jan. 14 and died in hospital four days later.
According to a Saanich News report:
Since the young man's death on Jan. 18, health authorities identified 19 people – including 17 in Greater Victoria – as being at-risk of exposure. All have been given a preventive vaccine and antibiotic.
Meningococcal meningitis is caused by the bacterium, Neisseria meningitidis, which causes the most severe form of bacterial meningitis. Meningitis is an infection of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord. It can also be found in the bloodstream. This particular type of meningitis is very severe and can result in death if not treated promptly. Even in cases where treatment has been given, the fatality rate is around 15%.
The symptoms of bacterial meningitis are sudden, with fever, stiff neck, body aches and headaches. As the disease progresses other symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, photophobia and seizures. A petechial rash seen on the trunk and lower extremities, bleeding complications, multi-organ failures and shock are usually final signs. This disease has the ability to kill within hours of getting it.
Up to 10-20% of older children and young adults carry this organism in the mouth and nose, though the carriage rate will vary with age and closeness of population. The majority of people that carry this bacterium have no clinical disease. The organism is spread person to person through respiratory secretions from the nose and mouth (coughing, sneezing and kissing). Experts are unsure why some people advance to meningitis disease while many do not.
Crowded living conditions facilitate the spread of the organisms and places like military barracks and college dormitories are well documented areas of concern with this disease.
What can you do to protect your family? You should get family members vaccinated if they fall into one of these categories prescribed by the CDC:
• If you have a high risk child from 2 to 10 years old.
• It is recommended to vaccinate children 11-18 years old.
• If you are a college freshman living in the dormitory. In the state of Florida, your child cannot reside in a dormitory without documented proof of vaccination.
• If you are a military recruit
• Other medical conditions (no or damaged spleen)
• Traveling to a country where the disease is common.
If you have close contact with someone with meningococcal meningitis, see your doctor for prophylactic antibiotics.
Meningococcal meningitis is a devastating disease with epidemic potential. This disease is considered a medical emergency and if you have the classic symptoms see your health care professional. It can be treated with antibiotics, but without delay.
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