A freshman female student on the second floor west of the Los Alamitos dormitory has contracted bacterial meningitis and is in a local hospital, said Stan Olin, director of Housing & Residential Life.
The latest available information as to the hospitalized student’s condition is that she is recovering well. The meningitis case was first reported via mass e-mail late Monday afternoon.
According to fliers distributed by Housing & Residential Life, meningitis is a rare, but highly contagious infection that causes an inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Students living in crowded conditions, such as dormitories, are generally at a higher risk to encounter the disease. Meningitis strikes 1,400 to 3,000 Americans each year, with approximately 100 to 125 cases occurring on college campuses nationwide. Five to 15 students a year die as a result.
“The longer people wait, the more sick they get, the harder it is to treat,” said Dr. Helene Calvet, a public health physician for the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services. “Since we don’t know who may have had some contact with this particular student, we want [students] to know the signs and symptoms of it. So if you start coming down with a fever and severe headache, don’t wait too long. Go to the Student Health Center or go to your doctor and get yourself checked out.”
On Monday night, Olin, Calvet and Nop Ratanasiripong, Student Health Services coordinator, gave an informational presentation to about 50 students in the Los Alamitos dormitory common room about the possible severity of meningitis. They also stressed that the situation was not a severe and deadly outbreak.
However, because this type of meningitis can be dangerous, Olin said, Housing & Residential Life is working with the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services and is undergoing several emergency precautions.
The Student Health Center will have a second clinic from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. today to provide antibiotics and vaccinations against meningitis. The antibiotics are the short-term solution to fight the disease, while the single-shot vaccination will provide long-term immunity that can last several years.
The vaccination costs $89 for students. For those who cannot afford the vaccination and feel they are at a high risk because of previous close contact with the infected student, their case will be evaluated and they may be eligible for a fee waiver, Ratanasiripong said.
In addition, all bathrooms in Los Alamitos Hall will now be disinfected twice a day and group activities in all the dorms this week will be rescheduled.
Mackenzie Herzog, the infected student’s resident assistant in Los
Alamitos, said the infected student reported feeling nauseated Tuesday and went to the emergency room Wednesday.
However, the infected student’s roommate, who medical experts said was in a high-risk situation to contract the contagious disease because of her proximity, has been previously vaccinated against meningitis and has not shown signs of infection.
Herzog said residents in Los Alamitos have signed a get-well card for the infected student, but it currently cannot be given to her because she is not allowed visitors due to the disease’s contagious nature.
Herzog also said that, before the meeting Monday, many of her residents did not know what meningitis was.
Olin said that throughout his 22 years at Cal State Long Beach, this is the first incident of meningitis in the dorms. However, Ratanasiripong said Student Health Services had a meningitis case three years ago, though the patient did not live in the dorms.
Housing & Residential Life applications have suggested for years that all on-campus residents receive meningitis vaccinations as a precaution, though they are currently not mandatory.
People with questions are advised to contact Ratanasiripong in the Student Health Center at (562) 985-7075.
INFORMATION ABOUT MENINGITIS
What is meningococcal disease?
Meningococcal disease is a rare but severe bacterial infection that commonly leads to meningitis, which is an inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord.
What are the causes?
Meningococcal disease is caused by Neisseria meningitides, a leading cause of bacterial meningitis in older children and young adults.
How serious is it?
Approximately 100 to 125 cases occur on college campuses each year, and five to 15 students die from the disease.
How is it transmitted?
It is very contagious, and is spread through coughing, sneezing, kissing, or sharing items such as cups or cigarettes.
What are the symptoms?
They resemble the flu, such as high fever, chills, headache, nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, sensitivity to light and sound and in rare cases, seizures.
Information from Housing & Residential Life
