Meningitis ! If you have been at Umass this year i'm sure you have heard of it. There was quite a big scare last semester when it became news that two umass students tested positive for the same strain of meningitis, which eventually lead to the university giving out the vaccine to over 10,000 students. This is a very serious disease that affects the brain and spinal cord and can even be fatal in some cases. Unfortunately, there was a new diagnosis of meningitis in a Smith College student just last week.
Spreading this disease is very easy, and can be done through contact either directly or indirectly. This makes it especially alarming in an area like Amherst where there are so many people sharing a small space. Meningitis causes inflammation of the membranes that line the spinal cord, which has a huge effect on the nervous system. This leads to flu-like symptoms, as well as severe headaches, light sensitivity, and a stiff neck. There are also many different strains of meningitis which makes the treatment process different depending on if you have bacterial or viral type. Bacterial meningitis will require antibiotics before becoming life-threatening, while people with viral meningitis can recover within 2 weeks.
It is no wonder why these cases have triggered such a reaction in the town of Amherst, and Umass specifically. There are so many risks associated with this disease and it is so easy to get if you are not vaccinated. Umass makes it very easy to get vaccinated too, as they regularly host walk in clinics on campus. More information on vaccinations on campus can be found at http://www.umass.edu/meningitis. The recent case just proves that the bacteria is still active in Amherst, and there is no reason not to get vaccinated and prevent a potential illness.
http://time.com/5041303/umass-amherst-meningitis-outbreak/
James Bowler
James Bowler
The most fascinating aspect of this Meningitis breakout is the fact that all 3 of these cases were seemingly unrelated. I believe the two patients from Umass did not know each other (did not live in close proximity), and a third case in Smith is even more disconnected. I am not sure why that is the case, but it is pretty frightening that the infection is apparently spreading in this unpredictable manner. Glad I got my vaccine.
ReplyDeleteHarris Jackson (1)
Good to hear you got vaccinated ! That is interesting that the two cases at Umass were unrelated, it really proves that everyone is susceptible to getting the disease. Hope we don't see any more cases.
DeleteIts crazy how this occurred twice on campus and was "unrelated" because it is so easily caught and spread. There must have been some sort of indecent where the bacteria got transferred from this one person on campus to another. I didn't get the vaccination but I probably should seeing as though it is still infecting people to this day.
ReplyDeletePosted by Sarah Aboody (1)
It does seem weird how easily the disease can be caught and spread yet there are only three cases. Maybe this shows how some people don't react to it. Check out the school website and find a time to get vaccinated !
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