About meningitis
Meningitis is an inflammation of the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord. Usually, it is caused by a viral or bacterial infection.
Bacterial meningitis is sometimes fatal and can be spread through contact with saliva, such as coughing, kissing and sneezing. It may result in brain damage, hearing loss or learning disabilities, according to the CDC.
Symptoms
High fever, headache and stiff neck. Other symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, discomfort looking into bright lights, confusion and sleepiness. As the disease progresses, patients may experience seizures.
DAYTON — The death of an Ohio University student on Wednesday, Feb. 17, from complications from bacterial meningitis “really hit me,” said Mary Crane of Bellbrook.
Andrea Robinson, 18, an Ohio freshman from Cleveland Heights, died Wednesday at a Columbus hospital where she was being treated for bacterial meningitis, according to university officials.
Crane’s son, Michael, an OU student, was hospitalized in February 2009 with bacterial meningitis at Kettering Memorial Hospital.
“We realize how close we were to that last year,” Crane said Friday regarding Robinson’s death. “That’s got to be hard on the parents.”
Michael, then a 19-year-old freshman, was the first of seven cases of bacterial meningitis at the Ohio University campus in Athens since February 2009. The school has seen two cases this month, including Robinson.
“I feel that OU needs to find the cause,” Crane said.
The Ohio Department of Health is monitoring the OU situation with the Athens City-County Health Department, said Jen House, ODH spokeswoman.
Each case has been examined for links to see whether the disease is sporadic or has spread from one person to another, said Dr. Mary DiOrio, an ODH medical epidemiologist.
“We really need to get a good understanding of whether or not there are relations here,” DiOrio said. “We are going to be doing more laboratory assessment.”
Local public health and university officials have focused on identifying people in close contact with the cases to give them antibiotics so that they don’t become ill, DiOrio said.
Ryan Lombardi, Ohio University’s dean of students, did not respond to several calls seeking comment.
The state of Ohio has seen an average of 42 cases of meningococcal disease annually since 2005, according to ODH data.
Ohio law prohibits colleges and universities from allowing students to live in on-campus housing unless the student or their parent discloses whether the student has been vaccinated against meningococcal disease.
However, Ohio does not require students to receive the meningitis vaccine. “It’s up to the universities,” House said.
College freshmen living in dormitories are at increased risk for meningococcal disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Nationally, about 100 to 125 meningitis cases occur each year on college campuses, according to the American College Health Association.
Originally diagnosed with a sinus infection, Michael Crane was hospitalized for five days last year and spent another week recovering at home before returning to OU. He’s now “doing great,” his mother said.
“We went through all kinds of tests this summer — neurological tests, hearing — everything’s just fine,” she said.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2419 or dlarsen@Dayton DailyNews.com.
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