February 12, 2009

Frequently Asked Questions about Meningitis

Please be informed that two students have been hospitalized with suspected meningococcal infection.  One student is being treated and is in stable condition.  The second student is currently in critical condition.

We are posting this notice as general information to the University Community.  Close contacts who need prophylactic medication will be notified directly.

Meningococcal meningitis is a serious disease that affects children and young adults.  A single case of this disease is not uncommon on a university campus.  Approximately 10% of the general population carry meningococcal bacteria in the nose and throat in a harmless (carrier) state.  This carrier state may last for days or months before disappearing spontaneously.  However, on occasion, the bacteria become invasive, resulting in infection of the lining of the brain and spinal cord; when this happens, a person can become gravely ill.

Some common early symptoms of meningococcal meningitis include fever, severe headache, and sensitivity to bright light, stiff neck, nausea, vomiting, rash and lethargy.  Anyone experiencing these symptoms should see a physician immediately.

The meningococcal bacteria responsible for this disease are spread only through close, prolonged contact with a person who is infected or who is a carrier. Close and/or intimate contact with an infected individual does call for preventative measures. People who have had intimate or close direct exposure to a meningococcal meningitis patient in the seven days before the onset of illness should receive prophylactic medication.  The medical definition of intimate or close direct contact includes kissing; sharing eating utensils, drinking glasses or toothbrushes; or by droplet contamination from nose, throat or any secretions or excretions from the body of the infected individual. Because the meningitis vaccine provides protection against most, but not all, strains of meningococcus, the degree of protection from immunization is not 100%.  Therefore, even individuals previously vaccinated against meningococcus should take prophylaxis if they had close contact with an infected individual.

Casual contact (living on the same dormitory floor, eating in the same dining hall, attending classes together) does not pose a risk and most infectious disease experts do not recommend treatment for people with casual or random exposure. The bacteria are not transmitted by food handlers or through food.  Meningococcal bacteria usually cannot live outside the body for more than a few minutes; people cannot be infected by being in a room where an infected individual has been. 

The Student Health Service, in consultation with the Hospital's Department of Infection Control and the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, recommends antibiotic prophylaxis only for those individuals who had close or intimate contact on or after February 2, 2009. We do not identify any medical indication or any benefit to prophylaxis for those individuals who have had casual or random contact.   However, we will be happy to discuss the potential advantages and disadvantages of prophylaxis with any person who is concerned that they may have been exposed.

If you want to make an appointment on-line, click here: https://shs.upenn.edu