Meningitis
causes concern in colleges
COLUMBUS,
Ohio (U-Wire) -- Five years ago, Lynn Bozof
was confronted with every mother's nightmare.
Her son was in the hospital, and the prognosis
was not good. She needed to go to him immediately.
Her
son, Evan Bozof, was a junior in pre-medicine
and the starting pitcher for the baseball
team at Georgia Southwestern University.
Because of a headache, he decided to skip
his baseball game and had a friend take
him to the emergency room.
Lynn
Bozof said she was concerned because her
son never skipped a game, but the hospital
placed him on antibiotics and told her it
was just a virus. The next morning, the
grim truth began to emerge. He had meningococcal
meningitis.
Meningococcal
meningitis is a rare, but potentially fatal
bacterial infection, which causes inflammation
of the membranes around the brain and spinal
cord.
According
to the American College Health Association,
this disease strikes about 2,500 Americans
each year, with nearly 15 percent of the
cases resulting in death. It is estimated
that 100 to 125 cases occur annually on
college campuses.
Evan
Bozof experienced many of the infection's
symptoms, which include fever, severe headache,
stiff neck, rash, nausea and vomiting. The
disease can progress in as little as 12
hours and often resembles the flu, making
it difficult to diagnose.
"Overnight,
Evan's hands turned black. People who aren't
familiar with this disease don't understand,"
Lynn Bozof says. "His hands and arms
looked like a plant that hadn't been watered
for a month, completely black and brittle."
Over
the next 26 days, Evan Bozof and his family
were shuffled between three different hospitals.
He communicated to his family by blinking
his eyes but was eventually placed in a
drug-induced coma to prevent his uncontrollable
seizures. In an attempt to save his life,
he underwent a quadruple amputation. Despite
all efforts, the doctors couldn't stop the
spread of the disease.
"After
Evan died, we learned more about the disease.
We discovered that it affects college students
more than anyone else because of the close
contact with so many people. We also learned
there was a vaccine that would have saved
his life," Lynn Bozof says.
Lynn
Bozof became determined to educate others
about meningococcal meningitis. She joined
with other parents affected by this disease
and formed the National Meningitis Association.
"Our
goal is simply to educate students and parents
about the disease," Lynn Bozof says.
Dr.
Kenneth Bromberg, an infectious disease
expert at the State University of New York,
says awareness of the disease has increased
in the last two years.
"This
disease was first discovered in the army
in the 1970s, where soldiers were living
in small spaces and in close contact with
many people," Bromberg says. "Now
the army requires vaccination."
Bromberg
says although the death rate is 15 percent,
those who survive may face irreversible
consequences.
"One-third
to one-half of survivors of this disease
may suffer permanent brain damage, hearing
loss or limb amputations," Bromberg
says.
Studies
conducted by the Center for Disease Control
show that students living in residence halls
and who are in close contact with other
people have a six times higher risk of contracting
the disease than college students overall.
Dr.
Ted Grace, director of Ohio State University's
Student Health Services, disagrees with
the studies conducted by the CDC, but acknowledges
the severity of the disease.
"While
18 to 22 year olds are at a higher risk
of the disease, it doesn't affect college
students any more than other 18 to 22 year
olds," Grace says.
Twenty-four
states have passed legislation that requires
college students living in residence halls
to either receive the vaccination or sign
a waiver stating they are aware of the risks.
"I'm
not against the vaccination," Grace
says. "I have two daughters in college,
and I gave it to both of them. I'm just
not sure why we only aim the vaccination
at such a small percentage of people who
contract the disease."
Steve
Kremer, Assistant Vice President for Student
Affairs a OSU, says this disease is deadly
and severe, but needs to be kept in perspective.
"Yes,
it is very serious, and it's something that
we need to remain aware of, but it's very
rare. In my 20 years at OSU, we've only
have one case result in a fatality,"
Kremer says.
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