The editor would like to thank all involved for their time and effort on this edition of The Voice.

The opinions expressed in any Sweet Briar College publication or other forms of media are not necessarily those of the students, faculty, staff or administration. Therefore, Sweet Briar College is not responsible for its content.

Editorials represent the opinion(s) of the editor(s) and/or staff/guest writer(s).

This site is maintained by Anne Proctor. Please email any questions or comments concerning the web site to her.

Student Contracts Meningitis
By Blair Mullally '10
STAFF WRITER

During the first week of October, SBC was confronted with a situation not often encountered at a small, liberal arts college: a case of the potentially deadly meningitis infection.

Meningitis is the inflammation of the membranes covering the brain. It consists of two types: bacterial and viral. Usually caused by Streptococcus preumoniae, the viral strain is more common, yet the less serious of the two forms. In less severe cases, it can sometimes be resolved in a few days, provided the patient obtains immediate treatment. The deadlier form, bacterial meningitis, strikes 1,400 to 3,000 Americans each year and is responsible for approximately 150 to 300 deaths.

Although meningitis can affect all age ranges, rates of the disease fall after infancy, rising later again in early adolescence and peaking between the ages of 15 and 20 years. College students should be particularly aware of the risks, as nearly 30% of patients in all cases of meningitis in the US are adolescents and young adults.

However, the lack of information most college students have concerning the disease is not surprising, considering that despite the risks for the young adult age group, college students are the minority in the in the thousands of colleges in the US, that only approximately 100 to 124 cases of meningococcal disease occur on college campuses each year, and five to 15 students will die as a result.

Although meningitis eventually affects the brain, the most common cause is an initial diffusion of bacterial or viral infections elsewhere in the body. After this initial infection, the disease eventually spreads into the blood and cerebrospinal fluid, ultimately traveling to the brain. In rare situations, fungal, protozoal, or non-infectious etiologies can also be responsible for the disease.

Because early detection and quick treatment are key, it is important to know and be able to recognize the symptoms of meningitis. Fever, headache, a stiff neck and vomiting are the most common symptoms, while photophobia, or sensitivity to light affects fewer patients. These symptoms may accumulate over several days, or progress quickly in just a few hours.

It is unfortunate that the meningitis vaccination is not mandatory for all college students, because evidence has shown that approximately 70-80% of cases involving college-age patients are preventable by vaccine. Besides living in close quarters, sharing personal items, and an already-compromised immune system can increase any college student’s susceptibility to the infection. Additionally, because meningitis can start off feeling like the flu, many college students are often quick to dismiss it as just that, going without treatment as the disease continues to get worse. If not treated immediately, the disease can ultimately lead to permanent disabilities including brain damage, hearing loss, seizures, or limb amputation, if not death.

Beginning on Tuesday, October 3rd, SBC students were confronted with the emerging situation through a series of emails from Kelly Espy, SBC’s Director of Residence Life and Housing. In the first email, students were warned about symptoms to look out for, and given a short description of the disease, with special attention to the disease’s potential seriousness. Because of the lack of general information most college students have about meningitis, the first email was careful to include that the bacterial form of meningitis is “generally not spread by casual contact” although also noting that those who may have come into close contact with those who contracted meningitis were being treating with antibiotics, as a precaution.

Although a “definitive diagnosis” was still not available when the second “health alert” email was sent on October 5th, it was noted that because the student’s symptoms were indicative of those of meningitis, she was admitted into a local hospital, where her condition was improving. In the 3rd campus-wide email, sent October 6th, it was announced that the student’s case was considered “presumptive positive for meningococcal meningitis”, and that she had been transferred to the UVA hospital, where she was recovering. The email also confirmed that the student was first treated with antibiotics and later underwent a spinal fluid and blood test in order to make a definitive diagnosis of the bacterial form of the disease. Additionally, the doctor in charge of the case, Dr. James Rodman, concluded that it was “the early intervention that led to her recovery.”

Because the email sent on October 6th was the last of its kind (at least for now), students (except those close with those involved) were left wondering what had happened. Because no kind of conclusion email was sent to students with details about what caused the disease in the first place, students were left still wondering about the possibility of another outbreak in the future.