A fever, headache and vomiting are all common flu symptoms, and most college students who feel a bug coming on do not think much about it. However, symptoms such as these could point to an illness that is much more dangerous than the common cold, and can even be deadly: meningitis.
Michelle Theriot, who is a nurse and the health educator at the Student Health Center, said that most college students do not realize that they are at high risk of contracting meningitis. The disease, which can be either viral or bacterial, is airborne and often spreads quickly in small spaces like college dormitories.
“Meningitis is highly contagious, and students who live in dorms are far more susceptible because of their close living quarters,” Theriot said. “Everyone who lives in the dorms, particularly freshmen, should get a meningitis vaccine.”
Theriot said that the vaccine is effective for three to five years and is 85 to 100 percent effective in preventing the illness. The Student Health Center can vaccinate a student for $80.
According to Theriot, although Loyola does not require students to be vaccinated for meningitis, it is strongly recommended both by the school and by the American College Health Association.
The ACHA Web site said that there are about 2500 cases of meningitis annually in the United States. Of those cases, 100 to 125 occur on college campuses. The Web site said the five to 15 of those students die as a result of the disease each year.
Meningitis fatalities have affected schools in the New Orleans area before. In 2001 two Tulane University students, Cherice Cochrane and Julia Harrison, died from complications of the illness.
Other symptoms of meningitis include a rash, neck stiffness, lethargy and sensitivity to light.
Theriot said that the best way to avoid catching meningitis is to get vaccinated and then to avoid direct contact with shared items like drinks and cigarettes. She also said that anytime a student experiences two or more meningitis symptoms, he or she should come to student health or go to the hospital right away. If meningitis goes untreated, it can lead to shock and death within hours of the symptoms’ appearance.
“Meningitis is dangerous and is certainly not something to take lightly,” Theriot said. “It’s important not to take chances.”
