Tristaters should be “not concerned, but aware” of the dangers of a deadly meningitis-related outbreak southeast of Akron, says a spokesman for the Ohio Department of Health.

INFOGRAPHIC

What is meningitis?

        State health officials began vaccinating students and staff in high schools in and around Alliance, Ohio, late last week. All told, about 5,800 people will receive the vaccine.

        Two Alliance teen-agers died about in late May after being infected with the same strain — serotype C — of Neisseria meningitidis, a bacteria that can cause meningitis and a blood infection.

        A third student, Christin Van Camp, is recovering at Children's Hospital Medical Center of Akron. She has been moved out of intensive care.

        News of the outbreak comes as many Tristate families are getting college application packets advising them to talk to their family physicians about getting college freshmen vaccinated against Neisseria meningitidis or meningococcal meningitis.

        “The threat of getting this particular form of illness is rare,” said Randy Hertzer, a spokesman for the state health department. “It's slim.”

        About 130 cases are recorded statewide annually, Mr. Hertzer said. Here, it happened in December 2000 when an 8-year-old Hamilton girl died of bacterial meningitis.

        the sniffles,” Mr. Hertzer says. “And then, for whatever reason, and science can't explain it, some people get deathly ill with it.”

        But it takes close contact — kissing, or sharing eating utensils or drinking vessels — to spread the bacteria from person to person, says Hamilton County Health Commissioner Tim Ingram.

        “It's not like the flu or a cold, where you can be in the general area and pick it up,” Mr. Ingram said.

        When bacterial meningitis infection turns into a serious case, it doesn't take long for symptoms to become apparent: A high fever, severe headache, nausea and very stiff neck are common warning signs. It's important for parents to be aware of and seek treatment immediately for those symptoms, Mr. Ingram says. Antibiotics are very effective against bacterial meningitis if they're administered in time.

        There are several sources for meningitis, or the inflammation of the tissues surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Several types of bacteria, including Neisseria meningitidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), can result in meningitis.

        Preschoolers are routinely vaccinated against the streptococcal and Hib strains, and adults over 65 can be routinely vaccinated against the streptococcal strain.

        The Neisseria vaccine — which doesn't protect against all four known strains of the bacteria — is available, but not widely used, except for college students or in the case of outbreaks. The vaccine does protect against the strain that killed the two teens in Alliance.

        There's some debate over whether the Neisseria vaccine should be routinely administered, says Dr. Mark Schleiss, an associate professor of pediatrics in the division of infectious diseases at Children's Hospital Medical Center.

        “When does it become reasonable to immunize everybody for a disease that's fairly rare?” he says.

        It's not uncommon for sporadic cases of bacterial meningitis to be reported at schools, universities or day care centers. The disease can cause permanent disability, including paralysis, deafness and brain damage, and can be fatal.

        Health experts preach basic sanitation as the best way to contain bacterial meningitis: Wash your hands often with hot, soapy water and don't share glasses, water bottles, forks, spoons and other eating utensils.

        Viral infections can also cause meningitis, although the infections tend to be less severe than bacterial meningitis. Fungal infections and some protozoa can also cause meningitis, says Dr. Schleiss.

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