Twain meningitis case leads to forum
Published March 7, 2008
Residents of Mark Twain Hall received a health warning in their inboxes this week when the Department of Residential Life e-mailed all residents informing them of a confirmed case of meningitis discovered during the weekend.
The male student was hospitalized during the weekend for meningococcal bacteria, which can cause meningitis, according to the e-mail.
The e-mail stated he was treated and was able to return to class this week. Residential Life Director Frankie Minor said that as of Thursday there were no other reported cases.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site states meningitis is “an infection of the fluid of a person’s spinal cord” and brain. Symptoms include high fever, headache and stiff neck, and those can matriculate in a period of hours to two days.
The e-mail also stated fellow residents who might have been infected had been treated.
“Students identified as being potentially at risk for contracting the bacteria due to contact with the individual have been notified and prescribed antibiotics as is the standard practice in cases such as this,” the e-mail stated.
After the incident, members of the residential life staff held a forum Wednesday to answer student questions about the disease. The students invited a doctor and nurse to discuss symptoms, treatment and prevention.
Minor said though he is not an expert on the disease, the case was limited and meningitis has difficulty surviving outside of moist conditions.
“These are not very common situations,” Minor said. “This one was on the lower end of seriousness.”
Students are not required to get the meningitis vaccine. But students must either get the vaccine or sign a waiver saying they had the option to receive the vaccine and chose not to.
Mark Twain Hall Council President Brittany Smotherson said some students have discussed whether to make the vaccine mandatory.
Smotherson said though it is everyone’s choice whether to get the vaccination, “I think out of respect for everyone else, we should at least get the shot.”
She said getting the vaccine doesn’t mean a person is protected from all forms of the disease.
Minor said he suggested students reconsider if they hadn’t gotten the vaccine already.
“Some people, particularly college students, never think anything bad will happen to them,” Minor said.
He said the cleaning practices for Residential Life staff and Campus Dining Services would wipe out any remaining traces of the disease if they still existed near the residence hall.
“I can tell you that these viruses are not hardy outside of moist environments,” Minor said. “Our routine cleaning takes care of that.”
This includes bathrooms and hallways, he said.
Minor said the Department of Residential Life relied heavily on the Student Health Center for information about existence of the disease.
“If we become aware of it, we’re normally notified through a health agency,” he said.