College freshmen living in dorms are more than six times as likely to contract a deadly form of meningitis than other college students, according to a study compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, and the American College Health Association, or ACHA.
Meningitis infects the fluid in a person’s spinal cord and the fluid that surrounds the brain. It is usually caused by a viral or bacterial infection.
College freshmen living in dorms risk contracting the most dangerous form of the disease — bacterial meningitis. Viral meningitis is usually less severe and resolves itself without specific treatment. Bacterial meningitis, if not treated quickly, can be quite severe and may result in brain damage, hearing loss, disability or death.
“It started out as flu-like symptoms, and we thought she had something like that, except there was a pretty severe headache associated with it,” said Richard Ranta, dean of the College of Communication and Fine Arts, whose step-daughter, Bridget Crown, contracted the disease after the spring semester at The U of M. “When she first went to see a physician, they thought it was flu or something like that.”
According to doctors and scientists, the biggest problems associated with meningitis are that it can develop very quickly and that symptoms are hard to distinguish from more common, less deadly diseases. A person can appear to be in perfect health, then, in just a matter of hours, become extremely ill. According to the CDC, up to 10 percent of people die within days of developing the disease.
Ranta said Crown came over for dinner after she had seen a doctor and said she was feeling a little better. However, she developed a rash, and after returning to her apartment, became disoriented and ill.
By the time she went to Saint Francis Hospital, she could not walk and had to use a wheelchair.
“She went into a convulsive coma shortly after that,” Ranta said. “(The medical staff) had to tie her down because she was beating herself against the beds in the ICU.”
After treatment and a week-long hospital stay, Crown was allowed to go home. She has fully recovered now. Ranta said he, along with everyone else who was in close contact with Crown, was vaccinated against the disease.
“It’s real scary, and I would recommend that anybody here get a shot,” Ranta said. “I know it’s kind of expensive — $50 — but it sure is worth it.”
Health educator Jacqueline DeFouw agreed, saying the best way to prevent the disease is to receive a vaccination. She said people can get a vaccination from their personal physician, the Health Department or the Student Health Center located next to the McWherter Library.
“We are experiencing a high demand, so we are asking students to make an appointment,” DeFouw said.
Students should bring a valid school identification card to the Student Health Center in order to receive treatment. To make an appointment, students and faculty should call the Student Health Center at 678-2287 during normal business hours.
High fever, severe headache and stiff neck are common symptoms of meningitis. Early diagnosis and treatment of meningitis is crucial. If symptoms do occur, sufferers should see a doctor immediately.
Diagnosis of meningitis is made by extracting a sample of spinal fluid from the patient by performing a spinal tap. In the procedure, a needle is inserted into the small of the patient’s back, where spinal cord fluid is more accessible.
Some forms of meningitis are contageous. They spread through the exchange of respiratory and throat secretions.
None of the bacteria that cause meningitis are as contagious as the common cold or the flu. They are not spread by casual contact or by simply breathing the air where a person with meningitis has been.
However, the bacteria that cause meningitis can spread to people who have had close or prolonged contact with a patient who has the disease. People in the same household, like dorm residents, would be considered at increased risk of acquiring the infection, according to the CDC. The same goes for anyone with direct contact with a patient’s oral secretions, like boyfriends or girlfriends.
DeFouw said students should avoid sharing food and drinks as well as other items, like cigarettes, to decrease their chances of being exposed to the disease.
The high infection rates among freshmen remain a mystery to most experts. DeFouw said college campuses are a “stew of germs” and freshmen dorm residents may be at increased risk of infection simply because they are exposed to the bacteria more often.
