A Tufts freshman was diagnosed yesterday with a blood infection caused by the meningococcal bacteria, an infection that causes meningitis. Health Services has identified individuals who may have been in contact with the infected student, and is urging students not to panic.
The student became ill while at home over the weekend and sought treatment from her physician. The diagnosis came before the bacteria entered her spinal fluid, which should prevent her case from becoming fatal.
Of the estimated 3,000 annual cases of meningitis in the US, about 300 result in a fatality according to the American College Health Association website. Between 100-125 of these incidences occur on college campuses.
The student's doctors notified Tufts' Health Services, which asked for a list of the patient's friends and associates at the University.
Health Services officials are recommending that the student's friends, as well as residents of the second floor of Tilton Hall and members of the softball team, receive a preventive antibiotic called Rifampin. An e-mail was sent to the students yesterday afternoon alerting them of their risk of infection and informing them of what to do if they believe they show symptoms of meningitis.
Meningitis is an extremely serious disease cause by inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. The chance of meningitis spreading throughout Tufts' campus are slim, according to Health Services Medical Director Margaret Higham, but officials are treating the incident seriously because of the virulence of the disease.
"The thing about meningitis and meningococcal disease is that it's extremely rare, but because when it occurs it's serious, you have to have a strong response," Health Services Director Michelle Bowdler said. "That's why we're letting everybody know that there was this case."
A few doses of the meningococcal vaccine are already available at Health Services, and more have been ordered. Still, the vaccine requires several weeks to take effect, meaning that students vaccinated now will not immediately be safe from infection.
"What we want to do is respond by getting people the antibiotics who need them. You don't need to respond by getting everybody vaccinated. That's not effective," Bowdler said.
Meningitis is spread by close contact with an infected person, usually through saliva. It can be transmitted by drinking out of the same glass, kissing, eating off the same plate, or even being coughed or sneezed upon by an infected person. Although the disease is rare, it is dangerous when it appears on a college campus, where students live in close contact with one another.
For the last two years, Health Services has held campus-wide vaccination clinics, and Bowdler believes that a majority of students are protected against the disease. A 20/20 special about the dangers of meningitis that aired in the fall of 1999 increased awareness of the disease throughout the country and caused many students to seek vaccination. That year was the first time Tufts invited an outside service to administer vaccinations on campus. Bowdler said there was a marked increase last fall in the number of students who came to campus already vaccinated.
But the vaccine is not 100 percent effective, and only protects against certain strands of the disease. Health Services is urging students who are concerned to get themselves examined immediately. Symptoms include high fever, headache, vomiting, mental confusion, and sometimes a red or purple rash. The disease can be fatal if not treated, and many people mistake its symptoms for the flu.
"We also want people to know what the signs of illness will be so that they can be checked out," Higham said. "What's really hard is that the signs of illness are really much like the flu, and there's a lot of flu going around."
Health Services expects to be overloaded with visits from concerned students and calls from worried parents over the next few weeks. Higham said that if no one develops the disease in about two weeks, Tufts will be out of danger.
According to Bowdler, there is little reason for students to worry.
"I really hope there's no widespread panic. There's no need for it at all," she said. "There's been a tremendous, coordinated response with the administration. People have been very helpful and quick about responding, so we feel confident that we've gotten the information out that we need to get out."
