C.U. Diagnoses Student With Rare Meningococcal Meningitis Disease
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On Saturday, a Cornell student was diagnosed with meningococcal meningitis, a rare disease that affects 100 to 125 students annually on college campuses. She was taken from Cayuga Medical Center to an intensive care facility closer to her home.
Though the disease is contagious, only people who were close proximity to the student are at risk. Gannett Health Services, along with the county health department, worked to examine those who had been in contact with the student on Sunday. Students who have been in the same room as the sick student are not at risk, and do not require antibiotics.
However, The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that all college students be immunized by taking the vaccine, which is available at Gannett. Dr. Corson-Rikert, executive director at Gannett, said in a press release that an infected individual passes the disease through nose and throat secretions.
Those with questions can contact Gannett at 607-255-5155, or visit their website at www.gannett.cornell.edu.
C.U. Diagnoses Student With Rare Meningococcal Meningitis Diseas
The Meningitis Foundation of America (MFA), a national organization, would like the public and media to know that information is available regarding the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of meningitis. MFA was founded by parents whose children were affected by meningitis. In addition to supporting vaccines and other means of preventing meningitis, the MFA provides information to educate the public and medical professionals so that the early diagnosis, treatment and, most important, prevention of meningitis, will save lives.
Meningitis is a dangerous and sometimes fatal inflammation of the brain and/or spinal cord that can leave survivors with serious life-long physical problems such as deafness, brain damage and other disabilities. Complications from bacterial meningitis can sometimes result in loss of limbs.
MFA has many spokespersons available. If you would like to arrange an interview with a spokesperson please call Jamie Callahan, General Manager of the MFA. A MFA press kit and, for television producers, b-roll footage is available upon request. For further information, visit the MFA website at www.musa.org.
Thank you,
Ms. Jamie Callahan, General Manager
Meningitis Foundation of America
6610 North Shadeland Ave.
Suite 220
Indianapolis, IN 46220
(800) 668-1129 ext.7
jcallahan@musa.org
Meningitis
Our prayers are with this young woman.
Too many kids are left debilitated or die from this vaccine preventable disease.
I am the mother of an only child, Ryan, who died from meningitis.
Please visit Meningitis Angels at www.meningitis-angels.org for more information.
What is meningitis?
Meningitis is a dangerous and sometimes fatal inflammation of the brain and/or spinal cord that can leave survivors with serious life-long physical problems such as, organ failure, blindness, deafness, loss of limbs, severe seizures, brain damage and other disabilities.
You should also understand meningococcemia and sepsis.
Signs and Symptoms
Do you know the early signs of meningitis and blood poisoning which could improve detection of the disease and save lives?
Unrelenting fever, leg pain, cold hands and feet and abnormal skin color can develop within (12 hours) after infection long before the more classic signs of the illness such as a rash, headache, stiff neck, sensitivity to light and impaired consciousness, debilitation or death. Anyone can get meningitis especially infants, children and teens.
What parents and students should know:
According to ACIP/CDC children ages 11 years through college freshmen should be vaccinated against meningococcal meningitis. However be informed, there are (5) serogroups of the disease, all serogroups groups are not covered. However the most common in the United States among adolescents and college How is it spread.students is serogroup C, which is.
Infants and toddlers should be vaccinated against pneumococcal meningitis.
Those children in daycare and those of American Indian and African American ethnic groups are at a higher risk for pneumococcal meningitis.
There is no vaccine to prevent viral meningitis.
How Is It Spread
The bacteria are spread through the exchange of respiratory and throat secretions (i.e., coughing, kissing). Fortunately, none of the bacteria that cause meningitis are as contagious as things like the common cold or the flu, and they are not spread by casual contact or by simply breathing the air where a person with meningitis has been. However, sometimes the bacteria that cause meningitis have spread to other people who have had close or prolonged contact with a patient with meningitis caused by Neisseria meningitidis (also called meningococcal meningitis) or Hib. People in the same household or day-care center, or anyone with direct contact with a patient's oral secretions (such as a boyfriend or girlfriend) would be considered at increased risk of acquiring the infection.
Frankie Milley, Meningitis Angels, Founder/National Director.
Ryan's Mom