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Bacterial Meningitis
Thursday
June 7, 2001
There is a recent outbreak in Alliance, Ohio and panicked parents are searching for answers. Its been reported that two high school students died of a highly contagious bacterial meningitis and a third has been hospitalized.
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Rick
and Judy Miller didn't know much about meningitis until
the bacterial infection killed their youngest daughter
Beth Ann, sophomore in college. Her roommates remember
their friend complaining of a sore throat, fever, headache,
vomiting.
 One
said, “We just thought she had a really really bad case
of the flu or something."
That's a common and sometimes deadly mistake. Bacterial
meningitis strikes about 5,000 people in the U.S each
year. Five hundred will die, in many cases because of
misdiagnosis.
Dr. Larsen, an infectious disease expert at USC, says
you know it's not the flu if it's not flu season. And
once you suspect its meningitis, go immediately to the
nearest emergency room because the bacteria can kill you
within 24 hours.
“There are very few diseases that can progress this quickly,”
Larsen says, “The signs that we're looking for are a severe
headache that you can't get rid of, stiff neck and fever."
Larsen says it's spread by saliva. “What we mean by this
is kissing, sharing silverware sharing a water bottle."
In Ohio, health officials are feverishly passing out antibiotics
as a precaution, nearly 40,000 doses. Friday they'll begin
vaccinating nearly 6,000 high school students.
Larsen says, "It takes a couple of weeks for the vaccine
to work. So we use antibiotics in the outbreak situation.
That can stop the spread of this virus dead in it's tracks
within 24 hours."
People most susceptible are those living in close quarters:
military barracks, dorm rooms, and day care centers. The
military vaccinates its personnel and the CDC recommends
college students get vaccinated.
But even still, most people don't know the $75 dollar
vaccine even exists. Beth Ann's parents say if they would
have known their daughter might still be alive today.
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For
questions regarding meningitis:
Beth Ann Miller Health Foundation
888-811-3946
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