College students, whether returning to school or just starting this fall, should be warned, and remember that there is a killer loose on campus.
Its name is Neisseria Meningitidis, also known as the Meningococcus. Yes, it causes meningitis, but this is a vicious killer! Although rare in the United States, it is still an organism to be reckoned with. In addition to striking small children, it likes to attack robust men and women in their upper teens and early twenties. That's right, college kids! When it strikes, you feel like you have the flu; a few hours later, you are septic; in a few more, you are in septic shock. When the inflammation of the meningial coverings around your brain begins (meningitis), it’s too late, and “you will find yourself alone in green pastures with the sun on your face because you are in Elysium, and you are already dead!"
Imagine a college athlete at age 20 with everything going for him; a great school, academic prowess, strength and quickness, a full ride scholarship, popularity and a life style envied by everyone. Then one October morning, he wakes up chilled, notices a mild fever, and he has a sore throat. He thinks he’s caught a “cold”, takes the usual remedies, and doesn’t tell anyone he’s “under the weather today”, because “it’s just a cold” and all he needs is rest. The next morning, he is found dead in his dorm room by his team mates. They notice reddish-black “splotches” all over his body.
Unfortunately, this is the rule, and not the exception in a meningococcal attack. The small children are done in by this invader even more quickly. It invades through intimate contact usually, but can be acquired from casual contact as well. The really bad thing with this organism, is it’s deliberate swiftness, moreover, the agonizing death of shock and accompanying meningeal “tightening” which is brutally painful, and described by survivors, as the most agonizing torture they have every been through. They would rather die than go through it again.
Survivors usually lose limbs, go blind, develop renal failure, have heart attacks or strokes due to ischemia and dissolved blood vessels. The Meningococcus is a deliberate killer with no apparent goal except to take down its host rapidly. Scientists are always perplexed by infectious diseases like this one, which attack, then kill their host and themselves so quickly in the process. This organism secretes an endotoxin that attacks macrophages (white cells, whose job is to search and destroy invaders), creating circulating cellular debris, at the same time, it eats away the intimal lining of our blood vessels. This is why many victims have severe petechiae and bruising almost immediately after infection, and of course, the reason the victim succumbs so swiftly.
We can kill this organism with penicillin! He has never been one to show resistance to our antibiotic weaponry. The problem is that when the organism breaks down from the penicillin or any other antibiotic we use, huge quantities of this toxin are released, the condition of the patient is exacerbated exponentially and we gain nothing. The victims die outright or they are left crippled! There is no treatment for an acute attack, but there is a vaccine! It is our only weapon right now, and yes, it works very well! Do yourself and others a favor and get the meningococcal vaccine. Many schools even require it before starting college now.
Keep in mind that this is a stealthy organism. 15 to 20% of Americans are carriers. That means 2 out of every 10 people you brush by, are harboring this organism without it causing illness to them, but they can infect you. It can be transmitted by sharing a cup or straw. Yes you can catch it from a casual kiss as well as sexual activity. Use your head, and keep your hands clean.
If you didn’t get the vaccine before heading back to school this fall, it’s never too late. Get it now! Any county health department will have it.
Remember, meningitis in general, can be caused by a host of different bacteria. Certainly, in addition to bacteria, several viruses are also known to attack the meninges. Although the meningococcus has a scary reputation, it is a smaller player in this regard. For example, the organism we worry about the most, and the number one cause of meningitis in children under two years old in this country, is Haemophilus Influenza (H. Hlu.). Also a known killer, we can take it down with antibiotics if caught in time. Unfortunately, survivors are usually left deaf. This is why we vaccinate against H. Flu. Also known as the HIB vaccine, it is required by all counties in all of the United States. The recent Listeria scare is also a concern. Listeria Monocytogenes, although a well known food poisoner and one of the reasons we pasteurize all our dairy products in the U.S., it is also known for causing meningitis in little ones, especially infants.
Do the right thing, make sure all of your vaccines are up to date, including the meningococcal vaccine. And don’t forget to keep your hands clean.
Dr. Counce
Author Resource:-
Founded by Dr. Charles Counce, The Conservatory of Medical Arts and Sciences is a higher education consulting firm and private charitable teaching resource based in the mountains of Lake George, Colorado. The Conservatory is the flagship of The Venture 17 Division of Education, a nonprofit collegiate consulting firm and professorate specializing in higher academics in the medical arts and sciences.
The Doctor is a professor of Human Anatomy and Physiology, as well as Cardiopulmonary Medicine, Molecular Biology, Clinical Biochemistry, and Hematology. In addition, he teaches American History.
Dr. Counce's blog, "The Searchlight Messenger", can be seen and commented on at http://www.venture17.com
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