2008 Woodie Awards
Proximity crucial in meningitis
Zhi Xiong - The Daily Iowan
Issue date: 3/10/08 Section: Metro
Time and distance matter when it comes to spreading bacterial meningitis.
A Loras College student, 19-year-old Audrey Fitzgerald, apparently died from the fast-progressing disease. Some strains are contagious, and health officials at the school and state level worked throughout the week to reach those who had close contact with her.
"Close contact" means spending at least eight hours within 3 feet of Fitzgerald, said Valorie Woerdehoff, an assistant to the college president. They contacted approximately 30 individuals from Binz Hall, Fitzgerald's dormitory, and her hometown of Independence, Iowa.
"It's not like SARS," said Lisa James, an associate director of UI Student Health Service. "You have to actively have contact with someone to catch it."
Bacterial meningitis is a severe infection of fluid that surrounds the spinal cord and brain. Those over 2 years old typically experience high fever, headache, and a stiff neck, and other symptoms include nausea, vomiting, and rash.
Though the disease is rare - there are nearly 3,000 cases across the nation each year - it can be deadly and swift. Bacterial meningitis kills 10 to 12 percent of its victims, and survivors can suffer permanent brain damage, hearing loss, or learning disabilities.
One cannot catch bacterial meningitis as easily as influenza or colds. Though it is also spread through saliva and respiratory secretions, contagious strains of meningitis generally require more prolonged contact such as kissing or sharing eating utensils or cigarettes.
Woerdehoff said those who were exposed have a window of 14 days to get antibiotics. Early treatment with antibiotics slashes fatality rates to below 15 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"What's wonderful is that the disease is not only rare, it's also very treatable," Woerdehoff said. "If you take the antibiotics, you have a good chance of survival."
Four people who had close contact with Fitzgerald have taken antibiotics by March 7, she said.
A Loras College student, 19-year-old Audrey Fitzgerald, apparently died from the fast-progressing disease. Some strains are contagious, and health officials at the school and state level worked throughout the week to reach those who had close contact with her.
"Close contact" means spending at least eight hours within 3 feet of Fitzgerald, said Valorie Woerdehoff, an assistant to the college president. They contacted approximately 30 individuals from Binz Hall, Fitzgerald's dormitory, and her hometown of Independence, Iowa.
"It's not like SARS," said Lisa James, an associate director of UI Student Health Service. "You have to actively have contact with someone to catch it."
Bacterial meningitis is a severe infection of fluid that surrounds the spinal cord and brain. Those over 2 years old typically experience high fever, headache, and a stiff neck, and other symptoms include nausea, vomiting, and rash.
Though the disease is rare - there are nearly 3,000 cases across the nation each year - it can be deadly and swift. Bacterial meningitis kills 10 to 12 percent of its victims, and survivors can suffer permanent brain damage, hearing loss, or learning disabilities.
One cannot catch bacterial meningitis as easily as influenza or colds. Though it is also spread through saliva and respiratory secretions, contagious strains of meningitis generally require more prolonged contact such as kissing or sharing eating utensils or cigarettes.
Woerdehoff said those who were exposed have a window of 14 days to get antibiotics. Early treatment with antibiotics slashes fatality rates to below 15 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
"What's wonderful is that the disease is not only rare, it's also very treatable," Woerdehoff said. "If you take the antibiotics, you have a good chance of survival."
Four people who had close contact with Fitzgerald have taken antibiotics by March 7, she said.
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Janet Evans
posted 3/13/08 @ 1:06 PM CST
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. (Continued…)
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