Meningitis Information
Meningitis is a disease that causes inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, known as the meninges. The inflammation is usually caused by an infection of the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Meningitis may develop in response to bacteria or viruses, but can also be caused by physical injury, cancer, or certain drugs. While not common, meningitis can be life-threatening or lead to brain damage. College students are at increased risk of the disease (1 out of 20,000, rather than 1 out of 100,000 for the population at large) because they often live in group housing. Some studies have shown an increased risk of infection with smoking, increased alcohol consumption, and bar patronage.
Early symptoms include fever, severe headache, stiff neck, rash, nausea, vomiting, and lethargy, and often resemble the flu. Because the disease progresses rapidly, often in as little as 12 hours, students are urged to seek medical care immediately, especially if they experience two or more symptoms at the same time. Of those who contract the infection and receive treatment, 10-15% will die, and 11% to 19% will be left with a severe complication. These complications include hearing loss; seizures; limb weakness; difficulties with vision, speech, language, memory and communication; and scarring and limb amputations after sepsis.
A safe vaccine is available that may prevent up to 85% of the known serotypes of meningitis. Protection is expected to be long-lasting, but the exact duration of protection is not yet known. Side effects of the vaccine are usually mild and consist of redness and swelling at the injection site and/or muscle aches.
For additional information about this serious illness, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Meningitis disease information page and Meningococcal Vaccines information page.
For information on FHSU's Meningitis health requirement, visit our Tuberculosis (TB) and Meningitis policy page.