Menengitis is a health concern, vaccinations available

By Samantha Kercheval
Daily Forty-Niner
Contributing Writer

Experiencing high fever, headache, muscle aches, stiff neck, vomiting or nausea might not just be the run of the mill flu. Any of these symptoms could be signs of meningitis. Other symptoms include trouble looking into bright lights or confusion.

If meningitis symptoms occur, get to the doctor, preferably the emergency room as soon as possible. Once the symptoms occur, the disease progresses quickly, usually within the first 24 hours. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), if it is correctly diagnosed, the illness is treatable by penicillin. Diagnosis most likely involves getting a spinal tap to test the spinal fluid. Even with treatment, one out of every 10 patients that contract the disease die. Many people who contract meningitis do not fully recover from it and suffer the effects for the rest of their lives. Some of its effects are permanent brain damage, hearing loss, organ failure, loss of limbs or learning disabilities.

Meningitis is an infection of the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord caused by the bacterias Streptococcus pneumoniae and Neisseria meningitidis. The same bacterium that causes meningitis can also cause blood poisoning. About 2,500 to 3,000 cases of meningitis are reported each year in the United States and about 300 of those people die. The Meningitis Foundation of America (MFA) reported that about 100 to 125 cases are reported each year on college campuses and about five to 15 of those cases are fatal.

The Meningococcal infection is easily spread through close living quarters. Both male and females are equally susceptible to the disease. College freshmen living in the dorms have a "six fold increased risk for the disease" according to the MFA. It is possible to catch the disease by sharing things such as cigarettes, cups or dorm rooms. It is also possible to contract it by kissing or sexual intercourse. Respiratory secretions like coughs can also transmit it. The typical lifestyle traits of college students also contribute to the risk. These factors include partying, smoking and irregular sleeping habits.

The good news is there is a vaccine. The meningitis vaccine protects the recipient against four types of the meningococcal disease. It lasts for three to five years but is stronger in the first three years said certified nursing assistant, Dayondra Felton. On campus this year, a meningitis vaccine was offered to students by a company called Maxim, the Health Care Staffing Office.

The vaccine is not for everyone though. People who have had an allergic reaction to a previous meningitis vaccine or those who are severely sick at the time of vaccination should not get the shot.

Last year, over three days, Nurse Dixon gave about 150 people the vaccination. This year, in two days, they gave about 60 vaccinations; most of them were women.

When asked why he was worried about catching the disease, freshman, Jordan Antonoff said that he " likes to play it safe and want[s] to live a long and healthy life." He also said that he heard "if you party too much, you're at risk."

Katie Whittington, a student that lives on campus, didn't seem too worried about the disease, but received the vaccination because her "mom made [her]." She said that a few of her friends were also getting the vaccination and it seemed like a lot of people living in the dorms were getting it.

Though the vaccination dates offered on campus have passed, it is still possible to get the vaccine. For more information on where to go, consult a physician, ask the Student Health Center, or call Aventis Pasteur, the manufacturer of the vaccine at 1-800-VACCINE (1-800-822-2463).