Bacterial Meningitis Suspected In Death of NY Student
March 16, 2008
New York (dbTechno) - School and public health officials are on alert after two separate incidents have appeared on campuses in New York, with one student dead, and two more in the hospital. Bacterial meningitis is believed to be the cause of these incidents.
18-year-old Carig Scheisser, a freshman at SUNY College at Oswego, New York was found dead on the floor in his dorm room early Friday morning.
There is no word yet on his cause of death, but the suspected cause is bacterial meningitis.
In a separate incident at Cornell University, two students have been placed in the hospital in the last week. They both have symptoms which have led many to believe that bacterial meningitis is to blame.
It is believed that these two students may have been in contact with each other during a party in March on campus.
Health officials are urging all who may have come in contact with Schiesser in the past ten days to seek medical attention. The same goes for the students who may have been in contact with the two in the hospital from Cornell University.
Symptoms of bacterial meningitis include nausea, vomiting, being mentally confused, and extremely fatigued.
The disease can be fatal, but usually is not, and is usually transmitted via sneezing, or passing of saliva.
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My heart goes out to yet another family who has lost a precious loved one from bacterial meningitis. I am one of three families in Cedar Rapids, IA who have lost their children within the past four years to this deadly disease. Meningitis is a dangerous and sometimes fatal inflammation of the brain and/or spinal cord that can also lead to sepsis (blood poisoning). We knew little about meningitis and were not aware that a vaccine was available to help protect our children. This illness mimics the flu and even fools the doctors into a false diagnosis until it is too late. Our children died within 15 hours of the first flu-like symptoms. Families need to be educated on the risks, symptoms and prevention methods. Minutes count so it is crucial to seek medical attention immediately to save the life of your child. Early signs are: fever, leg pain, cold hands and feet and abnormal skin color. Classic signs are: headache, stiff neck, sensitivity to light, fever, vomiting and a rash. Survivors can have long term disabilities such as brain damage, hearing loss, kidney failure, blindness and limb amputations. Adolescents and young adults have an increased risk of contracting this disease due to lifestyle factors. Since the bacteria is spread through air droplets and direct contact with someone who is infected (15% of the population can be carriers), this age group is more susceptible from sharing items by mouth (water bottles, cigarettes, lip balm, eating utensils, kissing, etc.) Crowded living situations, such as dormitories and sleep away camps, add to the risk. A new vaccine (Menactra) protects against four of the five strains and has been recommended by the CDC beginning at age 11 through the college years. Our children died from a vaccine preventable disease. Parents, please don’t wait – vaccinate your children. Visit http://www.nmaus.org or http://www.musa.org for valuable information.