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http://www.kansan.com/stories.asp?id=200209120036

Bacterial meningitis not often fatal

By Justin Henning
Kansan staff writer

Less than one percent of all college students will contract meningitis and fewer will die from it. Yet there are students and parents still concerned about the disease.

“My mom called me last week out of the blue and said I should go get tested for it after she saw something about meningitis on television,” Derrick Opitz, New Berlin, Wisc., sophomore said.

But one glaring fact gets overlooked about the disease.

“Meningitis is rare,” Randall Rock, staff physician at Watkins Health Center said. “Students are at no greater risk than their peers in the community.”

In fact, a person is four times more likely to die in a car accident, according to the National Safety Council.

Of the nation´s 15 million college students, approximately 300 will be diagnosed with bacterial meningitis each year. Of those 300, only about 30 will die from the disease, while the rest could have a full recovery or come away with serious after-effects of the disease.

Meningitis infects the fluid in a person´s spinal cord and the fluid that surrounds the brain, according to the Center for Disease Control´s Web site. Common symptoms of the disease are fever, headache and a stiff neck. While these are symptoms similar in nature to the flu or a head cold, meningitis takes only eight to 10 hours to progress through the body.

“It´s just one of those things that pop up and we have no idea why,” said Kim Ens, Disease Control Program Coordinator for Douglas County.

Just as a seat belt helps in a car accident, there are ways to help prevent meningitis. Rock said good personal habits such as keeping a regular sleep pattern, eating a balanced diet, not smoking and limiting second-hand smoke were good ways to keep a body healthy.

“We tell people that you can develop jet lag without leaving Douglas County,” Rock said. “The body likes predictability.”

Since the disease is transmitted though fluid secretions from the body, not sharing personal items such as utensils, toothbrushes, food, drinks and cigarettes was also a good way to prevent its spread.

“Any way not to share the secretions in the nose and throat is a good idea,” Ens said.

For students who still want more to combat meningitis, Watkins also offers a vaccine for $70, which lasts for about three to five years. Because of the high cost, some insurance plans offer coverage. While it is one of the required vaccines on the health form students fill out before coming to college, it is generally an option students pursue after getting a concerned phone call from their parents.

In the last two years, there have been two diagnosed cases of meningitis at the University of Kansas. A 4-year-old boy who attended child care at the Dole Human Development Center died from the disease in the fall semester of 2000. Last semester, an associate professor of teaching and leadership was diagnosed, treated and recovered completely.

Opitz said he would probably not get tested, despite his mom´s concerned call.

“My mom´s crazy, she does this all the time,” he said. “It´s just not something I worry about usually.”

For questions about the vaccine, students can call Watkins at 864-9500.

This story was edited by Lauren Beatty.

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ALL INFORMATION, DATA, AND MATERIAL CONTAINED, PRESENTED, OR PROVIDED HERE IS FOR GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS REFLECTING THE KNOWLEDGE OR OPINIONS OF THE PUBLISHER, AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED OR INTENDED AS PROVIDING MEDICAL OR LEGAL ADVICE.  THE DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO VACCINATE IS AN IMPORTANT AND COMPLEX ISSUE AND SHOULD BE MADE BY YOU, AND YOU ALONE, IN CONSULTATION WITH YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.