Meningitis

Living conditions and social behaviors seem to be the main causes of college students' greater risk for contracting bacterial meningitis.

According to research, college students living in dormitories are at a greater risk of contracting the disease. And research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that freshman who live in dormitories are at a six times greater risk than college students overall.

The bacteria spreads through the air via droplets of respiratory secretions and can cause infection in the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord or in the blood. The close proximity of people in dorm living, including behaviors like sharing drinking glasses or cigarettes or accidentally using another's toothbrush, put dorm dwellers at greater risk.

Additionally, intimate contact through kissing can result in transmission, as well as smoking and passive exposure to smoke, excessive alcohol consumption, lack of sleep and lowered immunity all put students at increased risk for the disease.

Outbreaks of bacterial meningitis, also known as meningococcal disease, usually occur in the late winter and early spring when school is in session. If your child is setting off to college, encourage him or her to be vaccinated for meningitis, especially if he'll be living in a dorm. The vaccine enhances immunity to four strains of the disease and has been found to be 85 to 100 percent effective for certain strains.

Resources:

View some frequently asked questions about meningococcal meningitis and why dorm-dwelling college students are especially at risk.

In 2000, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that all college students be vaccinated against meningococcal disease. Read a news release.

Peruse a timeline of meningitis and developments in treatments and vaccinations.

July 26, 2003