A New Outbreak of Influenza?

In China a new out break of the Avian Influenza virus has recently occurred. The first being a 39 year old man of the Guangdong Province had contracted the virus on December sixth of this year and omitted in the hospital on December eleventh, five days after the man contracted the virus. Another patient, a 65 year old woman of the same province was exposed to live poultry and became ill on the eleventh of December and omitted into the hospital on December fifteenth.

This is an amazing finding because no evidence on human to human transmission was found. it had been contracted from being around live animals. Any kind of flu can be an epidemic. Just like the Spanish Influenza that had killed many people.  It adds curiosity to the minds of many because the Chinese do not know how the virus was spread to two separate individuals. Avian Flu, New Cases Emerge

Polio Found In Jerusalem

 

Prior to September 2013, polio hadn't been found in Israeli sewers since 2002. Recently, the nation's Health Ministry announced that the disease had been found in Jerusalem's sewers. The virus was found in a sewage in Rahat, a smaller city in the Negev desert. From there, the virus spread and appeared in Cairo's sewers. The virus is shed in waste for weeks after contracting polio, even if they were a asymptomatic carriers, so it has the ability to spread easily. No children have been known to be paralyzed by the disease, and only 1 in 200 are paralyzed. The last polio-related paralysis in Israel was in 1988.

 

Now, Israel is conducting a vaccination drive to reach out to a million children to give them a live vaccine. There are some anti-vaccine activists that are fighting the movement, but they were quickly rejected by Israel's Supreme Court because although the live virus is a little risky, they provide greater protection for the kids. The vaccination is given in the form on 10 drops of the live virus, instead of an injected killed vaccine like they previously did.

 

Feces spreads many sicknesses, like cholera, and polio is not an exception. The sewers are where the virus was found, and they citizens of Israel should be thankful that it did not spread to the water supply (like the London 1854 outbreak of cholera did) or else there would be a much higher rate of infections. Hopefully, the vaccinations work and polio will be gone again from the city, and eventually eradicated.

 

This article made me think more about sanitation around the world and how truly important it is, for both health and cleanliness reasons. I appreciate the things in my life that seem normal for middle class Americans, but are a luxury for many people in various places.

 

Picture- http://www.middleeastexperience.com/

Article- http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/10/health/polio-virus-found-in-jerusalems-sewers.html



Is Measles really Eradicated?

 Although the measles has been eradicated in the Unite States, officials believe that it may not truly be gone. The CDC fears that the residents of the US are in danger of this disease because of travelers coming from foreign countries. In 2013 there have been a reported 175 cases from people who had previously traveled outside of the country. The CDC director said, “A measles outbreak anywhere is a risk everywhere." He said that this is a reminder that any disease has the potential to return and that seems to be the case for the measles. Around the world there are 18 children dying every hour. In 2010 there was only 60 reported cases. Only few countries have the capability to detect the disease and also vaccinate them. The CDC wants to try and push for more vaccinations so that they can take a step in the right direction. This reminds me of how people were pushed to get inoculated so that they had a bigger chance of beating the disease. By getting inoculated they would have the potential to be immune. It relates to the measles because they are pushing for more vaccines to save more lives. 
 I chose this article because I thought it was interesting how a disease you don't really hear about, is 
making a come back. It is scary to think that a disease that was eradicated is having such a strong return. I hope that more vaccines become available to the people who need it. Who would have that you would have to think about diseases and vaccines when planning a vacation. I hope one day that this disease will be gone for good. 

The Thousand-Year-Old Grave

   

     This year marks the third year of excavations performed near an abandoned medieval church in Altopascio Italy.  Giuseppe Vercellotti and a team of six archaeology students stumbled upon a layer of lime while digging in the land in July 2012.  Lime is telltale sign of a mass grave; it was a medieval custom to dump lime on rotting corpses to muffle their stench.  As we all know, mass graves were made to accommodate heavy death tolls often caused by epidemic disease outbreaks.  The team assumed that this grave would contain solely victims of the Black Death, as indicated by the primitive use of lime.  What they didn't know is that this mass grave had been used from the 11th century to the 19th century to dispose of bodies in the area afflicted by any and all epidemic diseases that have been prevalent in the past 1000 years.  This is what they found:

1. Victims of leprosy, smallpox, measles, tuberculosis, and typhus.  These were presumably pilgrim travelers on religious journeys past the medieval church over the years.
2. Many victims of the black plague, used by researchers to test the immunology (studying immune systems; seeing what people were most susceptible to/if other pathogens made them more susceptible to plague) of medieval citizens. 
• Medieval jaws found lodged in the walls of the mass grave were used in DNA testing to harvest  any Y. Pestis bacteria.  This helps epidemiologists further examine the aspects of why the disease might have jumped from animals to humans at greater lengths. 
3. Possible victims of malaria, have been excavated but not yet tested.
4. Several victims of syphilis.  They could even tell the home remedies that the people had tried to use in hopes of treating it, ex: black enamel on teeth indicating mercury used as treatment. 
5. One victim of cholera in very good condition.  Samples from this woman, termed "the lady with the gold earring" due to her hoop earring dating from the 1800s, will be used to examine Vibrio cholerae in greater depth and possibly find a path towards eradication.

     The excavation is still in progress, however from this alone researchers and historians can gain great insight on our history with respect to epidemic disease.  I chose this article because I think all of the diseases we've studied are mentioned in it, including evidence of some of the remedies we saw people using in vain. Most of all, the fact that they'd use the same mass grave for years and years (possibly unintentionally) is really amazing.  Also, it's eye opening to see just how far technology is able to get us even when examining thousand-year-old samples of bacteria and/or DNA.  Overall, this article was very interesting for both its historical and scientific aspects with regards to disease, and it will be interesting to follow how the rest of this investigation pans out as we approach the new year.

(article link: http://spark.sciencemag.org/the-thousand-year-graveyard)

Whooping Cough- Discovery in Baboons Which Could Lead to the Answer to an Unsolved Mystery

    On November 26th, 2013 it was published for the first time that researchers might have found the reason for high spike in the number of Whooping Cough cases. The cause may actually be due to the vaccine and is affecting people worldwide. It recently has been discovered in baboons that even after the baboon has received a vaccine against Whooping Cough he/she is actually still contagious to others. The reason being that the infectious agent remains lodged in the throat of the vaccinated. This allows the virus to continue to spread, thus being the possible reason for the high spike in the number of Whooping Cough Cases. 

‘“When you're newly vaccinated you are an asymptomatic carrier, which is good for you, but not for the population,' said Tod J. Merkel..." This means that the person vaccinated is not exhibiting symptoms, but they can still spread the disease to others. Thus explaining the rise in the number of Whooping Cough cases worldwide. This also seems to prove that the vaccine seemingly ineffective as a preventative measure. 

http://www.examiner.com/article/whooping-cough-kills-thirteen-ongoing-u-s-epidemic

            The article reminded me of what we talked about with inoculation of Small Pox. While the patient now has immunity to the disease, the rest of the population remains at risk. This is very dangerous and just as concerning as it was with Small Pox before vaccinations. For me this brings up the question of whether or not it is worth it to be vaccinated if you are just as likely to spread it to other people. Also, I question if by getting vaccinated you are more likely to bring Whooping Cough to your area because you seemingly become infected after being vaccinated.

            The fear that we saw in the movie in class that the Adams family felt towards Small Pox for me reminds me of a fear that is instilled in many today because of the great unknown about Whooping Cough. Before Whooping Cough vaccines seemed to be working great, but as the child grew older the vaccination became less effective. A new vaccination was made and now it is bringing up questions as to if this vaccine is actually causing more cases of Whooping Cough. For me this is concerning and is definitely relatable to the clip of the Adams Family film on Small Pox we saw in class. 

            I really liked this article and enjoyed reading it. I had not really heard much about Whooping Cough recently. Quite frankly the only times I had even heard of it in the past was from posters at the doctors office and reminding patients with young children how important it is for both you and your child to be vaccinated. After reading this article I really had to question for myself what I would do if I were in that situation. I feel as if I would vaccinate all the people around me at the same time that may be at risk so that not only could I be safe from Whooping Cough, but also so the rest of my family would also be safe. This is definitely a concerning and new topic that is up for debate on whether or not families should even vaccinate themselves and their children if quite frankly it is causing more cases in the world.

Whooping Cough Study May Offer Clue on Surge

By: Sabrina Tavernise

November 26, 2013

The New York Times

http://go.galegroup.com/ps/retrieve.do?sgHitCountType=None&sort=DA-SORT&inPS=true&prodId=SPN.SP24&userGroupName=mlin_n_reading&tabID=T004&searchId=R2&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&contentSegment=&searchType=BasicSearchForm&currentPosition=55&contentSet=GALE%7CA350448270&&docId=GALE|A350448270&docType=GALE&role=

To Vaccinate or Not to Vaccinate?: Manhattan's New Flu Mandate

   With winter quickly approaching, the Manhattan Board of Health has created a new mandate, that all children under five who attend daycare or preschool must have the flu vaccine, whether it is in the form of a shot or mist. The mandate will begin on December 31st, 2014 and any school that does not provide documentation of their students’ vaccinations will be fined. Students who are not vaccinated will be kicked out of the school. To help students who cannot afford these vaccines, the city has made many free or low cost ones available. Of course, as with other vaccinations, if the student has valid medical or religious reasons to not get immunized, they can be excused.
    The Board of Health supported their decision by saying, “One-third of children under five in New York City do not receive an annual influenza vaccination, even though the vaccine safely and effectively protects them against influenza illness”. Since children are the ones who primarily spread the disease, vaccinating them could reduce cases throughout the city. It will also reduce the risk of children suffering medical complications from the fly by 60%.

The CDC highlights the importance of vaccination in this PSA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gG2SvLNRU9I 

    As with any medical mandate, there is backlash from several organizations. The main one, the Autism Action Network, has responded by saying, “This is an unnecessary, potentially dangerous, and expensive policy”. They claim that because the vaccines are preserved with mercury, they are unsafe and could even cause Autism. The Board of Health has responded by saying the link between vaccines and Autism has been discredited and that vaccines have been proven safe.
    Upon reading this article, I immediately thought of the debate over inoculation during the Boston Smallpox epidemic of 1721. Many felt inoculation was wrong because it went against God’s will and was untested, much like the current people crying out against flu vaccination. It is interesting that almost 300 years later we are still debating new vaccinations and are using similar arguments.

http://healthimpactnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/vaccine-autism-research-300x200.jpg

    This article also made me think of what other precautions schools could make to prevent the spread of flu. If you look back to what we have learned so far, nothing else really works besides vaccinating. Quarantining works for some diseases but sometimes, as in the case for smallpox, it is hard to quarantine because of its long incubation period. What else, besides vaccination, could have Manhattan declared to help protect kids?
    I personally agree with Manhattan’s mandate. Flu is a very infectious disease and can be life threatening to small children. Working in a children’s room in a public library, I have seen first hand how kids spread germs not only amongst each other, but to adults who they are in contact with. Vaccination is the best way to prevent this. And, the mandate allows people with medical and religious objections to be excused, which I feel is the right thing to do. If the city was declaring this for everyone, with no exceptions, I would feel a hundred percent differently.
    I also find it ridiculous that the Autism Action Network is citing an old, discredited study that links Autism to vaccinations. It has been discredited for sometime now and many other Autism advocates, such as the organization Autism Speaks, have acknowledged this. It bothers me that this group is misinforming people for their own agenda. This article about Manhattan’s new mandate brings up the age old debate of vaccination and makes us once again question whether we should order people to do it.

Original Article: “City Mandates Flu Vaccine for Kids Under 5” Published on December 11 by Amy Zimmer for DNAinfo New York

Is Evolution Over? How the progression of drug resistant bacteria can lead to epidemics

New Pathogen Epidemic Identified in Sub-Saharan Africa

The Wellcome Trust

November 2013

http://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/news/2012/10/new-pathogen-epidemic-identified-in-subsaharan-africa.aspx

 

 

“New Pathogen Epidemic Identified in Sub-Saharan Africa” is not only a fascinating article on disease, but is the living breathing evidence that our earth is still at war with disease, as it has been since the beginning of time. Provided by the Wellcome Trust, this article describes the emergence and spread of a newly discovered intestinal disease. This disease known as iNTS (invasive non-Typhoidal Salmonella) is caused by a new form of the bacteria Salmonella Typhimurium that has spread from two different centers of activity in Southern and Central Africa.

 

 

      

 

 

Researchers attribute iNTS’s high mortality rate, (45 % of those infected) to the poor health conditions in Africa where malnutrition, HIV and Malaria are endemic and frightfully common. By studying the evolution of iNTS, researchers discovered that most affected with iNTS contained a gene resistant to chloramphenicol, a front line antibiotic  used to treat Salmonella. In other words, iNTS is a direct bacterial reaction against antibiotics, creating a new strain that modern science has yet to crack. Gordon Dougan, lead author from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, explains “Now the race is to discover how iNTS is actually transmitted in Sub-Saharan Africa so that effective intervention strategies can be implemented.”

 

 

    

 

Perhaps the scariest part of iNTS is not the disease itself, but the fact that we know so little about it. Yes we understand what happens once someone is infected but no one knows for sure how the infection has spread and how it will evolve. As the epidemic progresses, so will the disease thus creating an almost ticking time bomb between disease and medicine. This absolute blindness reminds me of all three epidemics that we have studied this far. In the Cholera Epidemics of the 19th century, the Smallpox Epidemics of the 18th century and Plague during the 15th century, people of the time had no idea what could be causing such horrific pestilences. Some believed it was divine intervention while others believed stoutly in the miasma theory. Either way, right or wrong, they were overcome by fear born from their lack of knowledge and confidence in finding a cure. This unfortunately, is the case for the iNTS epidemic now evolving in Africa.

Could Malaria Be The Next Eradicated Human Disease?

As many are aware, Malaria has been endemic to Africa for as long as history has been studied. However, this article, written by Martin Edlund, from CNN suspects that Malaria will soon be a thing of the past on this continent.  The article states, "we have turned a corner in the malaria fight. We have reduced the rate of deaths from malaria among children under 5 by 51% from 2000 to 2012 -- halfway to our goal of ending death by mosquito bite." This mosquito-borne disease is both preventable and treatable. The mortality rate in children has decreased by 20% since the year 2000 due to the handwork and fundraising done by Malaria No More, a foundation dedicated to the reduction of death, especially in children, caused by Malaria. While the disease is still taking a great toll on the African population, it is slowly but surely being treated and prevented because of rapid diagnostic tests, artemisinin-based combination therapies, and even because of the use of cellphones. All of these factors may lead to Malaria being eradicated in Africa at the least.

This disease reminds me of the bubonic plague which we studied earlier in the year because it is spread through an animal vector. Unfortunately, this factor makes the disease more difficult to control. Unlike Smallpox which was only spread from person to person, Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease, making it harder to contain and prevent the spread of disease. 

I found this article to be very exciting and inspiring. It is very comforting to know that diseases are not something we have to live in fear of. As shown in history, and in the present day, infectious diseases can be treated, even in the poorest of countries. While it may be more difficult to prevent and cure disease in third world countries, it is still very possible. Foundations like Malaria No More give hope that this awful disease which, "literally sucks the lifeblood (energy, livelihood and productivity) from the African continent" can be gotten rid of. This article leads me to believe that there may be a possibility that Malaria can be eradicated in the future. 
Read more at: http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/11/opinion/edlund-malaria-progress/index.html?iref=allsearch
http://redbrickreviews.blogspot.com/2013/02/malaria-2013.html

Polio Free for 10 years and counting, Europe may become infected

A confirmed polio outbreak in Syria, which is the first major occurrence in 14 years in this area, has jeopardized the global campaign to eliminate the disease. Polio can be transmitted orally, through coughs and sneezes, or through infected fecal matter. Although most of the world is protected because of immunization, which at one point put polio on the brink of elimination, many think that Europe is vulnerable and in danger of a recurrence of polio.

Millions of Syrian refugees have fled to Europe because of the war, which is why many believe that an outbreak could occur. Also, the safest vaccine, which is IPV, rather than the oral version, has some unintentional problems: “Patients treated with IPV can still be infected with wild poliovirus — the naturally occurring virus that causes polio — and transmit it to others, usually without any obvious signals (only about one in 200 infectees show signs of paralysis).” This means that people fleeing from the war could be infected without knowing it, and could easily spread polio to parts of the world that are not vaccinated.

A Syrian refugee camp

But there is no need for concern here in the United States- as long as immunization rates remain high. This is the largest vaccination effort in the Middle East, and the fact that polio could begin to spread again is somewhat disheartening. This outbreak shows the magnitude to which disease and war can disrupt our world. There is some controversy to the idea that the Syrian outbreak will spread to Europe, and some officials believe that it is more likely to come from other infected countries.

In class, we spent a large amount of time discussing the smallpox eradication and the ways that it was achieved. This article about polio eradication relates to that because of the efforts that are involved to vaccinate people and stop the disease. Unfortunately, the polio vaccine does not always fully protect from the virus, and vaccinated people can still become infected and spread the disease.

This article really made me think about the circumstances that these refugees are living in. Most are in unsanitary camps and can easily communicate disease to one another. We are extremely fortunate to not be in a crisis as they are, and I think that all efforts to prevent the spread of this horrible disease show the compassion that some people have, because the aid groups are risking their lives to help others.

Read more at: http://www.theverge.com/2013/11/19/5117168/polio-outbreak-in-syria-could-threaten-europe-experts-warn 

Lyme Disease is on the Rise!

In the article "Lyme Disease Rates Rise in Northern US" by Karen Rowan, Lyme disease is on the rise in the United States in the north eastern states and in the northern Midwest but decreasing in the southern states. Between 1992 and 2007 there have been significant increases of Lyme disease in the northern US.  Researchers wrote: “our findings are consistent with the hypothesis that increases in Lyme disease incidence in recent decades are attributable at least in part to the effects of climate change,".  

 

Studies have suggested that the warming temperatures at the northern latitudes allow the Ixodes ticks, which carry the bacteria that cause Lyme disease, to migrate north. There seems to be a decrease in the south because the temperature is warmer which allows the expansion of lizards, who are “dead-end hosts”, which means that they do not transmit the disease to humans.

 

When I first read this article I was surprised that there is an increase in Lyme disease in north eastern states in the US. I also was surprised it was because of the climate changes because all the time we hear about how things are changing because of global warming, but this is exactly like that.

 

The climate changing has led the southern states to have an increase in lizard populations, which led the Lyme disease carriers to travel north. In class, we’ve learned about different modes of transmission and in this case the tick is the carrier of the disease which attaches its self to humans, and animals. This article has helped me see that Lyme disease is on the rise in the north eastern states and to take preventative measures against getting the disease.

 

 

 

This image shows an adult female, an adult male, a nymph and a larva of the tick species Ixodes scapularis, which carries Lyme disease and babesiosis.

Credit: CDC, courtesy of Dr. Marc Dolan

 

 

http://www.livescience.com/28798-lyme-disease-rise-northern-states.html

Rise in Measles and Other Infectious Diseases has U.S. Public Health Experts on Alert

Diseases such as Measles have a high rate of transmission, which is why every American State requires children to get immunized by the time they go to preschool. However throughout the years many parents have opted out of the vaccination for religious, philosophical and other beliefs. The number of children not becoming vaccinated against these infectious diseases has been on the rise since 1990. This article discusses why and how the U.S public health has been on the look out for cases of infectious diseases that could potentially infect many people quickly. Early detection is key to the public health experts when trying to prevent people from getting these infectious diseases. The U.S public heath experts are trying to vaccinate as many people as they can against these harmful diseases in hope that in the future the number of cases found per year will decrease. 

When first reading this article I had no idea measles had been "eliminated" in the U.S in 2000. However, as good as that logistic sounds, there have been over 161 measles cases across 16 different states this year alone; the highest number of cases since 2011 (when 220 were reported). I find it easier to picture what the impact of infectious diseases have on a community or on people by numbers. As we can clearly see the U.S is suppose to be gone with measles for good! But the numbers do not lie, and we still see cases each year…which brings to mind one question. How are people contracting this infectious disease? I would take a guess many public health experts ask this question as well because they too want to protect the U.S from getting infectious diseases. 

This article reminded me of the public health measures people would follow when the smallpox epidemics were occurring. The people during the smallpox epidemics would stack stones in their windows to keep disease away, they would flee for their life, some would get inoculated, others would pray, etc. Infectious diseases such as measles and pertussis are highly contagious meaning getting yourself vaccinated is crucial. Since we have the luxury of becoming immune, why not take that simple task for granted? The benefits of getting vaccinated far outweigh any risks the diseases may offer.  

http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20131130/MAGAZINE/311309983/rise-in-measles-and-other-infectious-diseases-has-u-s-public-health

Foot-and-Mouth Disease: More Than Just a Danger to Infants

Foot-and-Mouth disease has been popping up in recent places, but surprisingly, they are not cases involving small children or infants. Actually, they are not even human. Cattle have become the victim of a FMD epidemic, mostly around the areas of Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, and Mayiladuthurai. The Animal Husbandry reported that 1,200 cattle have died from the disease. The spread of the epidemic disease has been observed to have started around January of this year. 


In the article, State President of the Tamil Nadu Milk Producers Welfare Association, K.A. Sengottuvel states, "In the recent days the disease has claimed the lives of hundreds of cows across the State as it was not taken seriously by the Animal Husbandry Department." Maybe if the threat was taken care of immediately, there would not have been so many deaths. 


The article, "Foot-and-Mouth Disease Turning Epidemic", is written by P. Oppili. The date of the article is November 15, 2013. The newspaper that the article is located in is called The Hindu. The article can be founded at: http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/footandmouth-disease-turning-epidemic/article5351734.ece

(Source: http://www.feedmanufacturers.net/animal/livestock/cattle-2/)

My first reaction to the article was to think that this was not a serious case that should concern me because it is effecting animals and not humans. However, the ranks of which the cattle are dying and the fact that the cause is unknown is unsettling. 

The epidemic that could be most relatable to this cattle FMD epidemic would be Cowpox. While studying about Smallpox, Cowpox came into play when vaccination was experimented. Cowpox was originated from cows, and FMD has broken out to a large amount of cattle. These cases show just how much diseases can effect animals, and especially cattle. 

There is controversy in the article over how much the government should step in and fix the problem at hand. Sengottuvel also said, “the government is carrying out the drive once a year whereas it should be carried out twice a year – once before the South-West and the North-East monsoons”. Vaccinations should not be taken lightly in any case of an epidemic where fatalities occur. 

The article, while introducing a new epidemic, does not sell the idea that this problem needs to be fixed right away. Hundreds have died, but the fact that they are cattle and not human does not make the situation seem threatening. This may effect business for the people that own cattle, especially in this area, but it does not appeal to the majority of people. The article could've gone more in depth with how the death of cattle has effected the area and possible outcomes if the problem is never cured. 

Meningitis Menace at UC Santa Barbara

Recently at the University of California Santa Barbara, there has been an outbreak of meningitis. There have been four cases at UC Santa Barbara, but also eight cases of the same unique strain at Princeton University. The article is titled "Meningitis Outbreak at UC Santa Barbara" and was written by Sydney Lupkin from ABC News, on December 3rd. A few kids began getting sick about 3 weeks ago. One victim had to have both of his legs amputated. The strain of meningitis is called meningococcal type B. In the article, it states that "the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says they are not connected because the diseases do not have the same "fingerprint." This statement shows that the two outbreaks are not related, because they did not originate from the same place. This is important to know when studying how to prevent further spread of meningitis. 

When I first read this article it scared me a little, since I'm going to college next year, and this rare strain of meningitis is being found currently in colleges. There is no vaccine for this strain. From what I know from class, not having a vaccine can make the affected and the people around them very nervous and afraid. One student that knew one of the affected people said, "It's just kind of scary because there is a constant fear." Constant fear is something we know at lot about fro studying smallpox and the black plague for example. 

The only time I have experienced somewhat of this fear is when swine flu occurred a few years ago. Everyone was always talking about it, and always afraid it would affect people near us. There was a vaccine for this strain of course, but it is still a scary situation when a new strain of a virus comes around. 

I thought this article was very informative about the situation at UC Santa Barbara and across the country at Princeton. I find it ironic that this is happening in two places so different from each other, with no relationship between them. Now I'm left wondering how the spread actually did begin, and waiting to see if this situation gets better, since it is something that is having a huge impact on the lives of the students and families. 

Ivy League Meningococcus Arrives in Santa Barbara

At the University of California, Santa Barbara, four students came down with meningococcal disease all in the same three-week period in November of this year. The first student is now permanently disabled and is still in the hospital, but two others have recovered and are healthy enough to return to classes. The fourth is also expected to recover. The four students contracted the type B form of the bacteria, which is the same strain that is causing an outbreak of meningitis at Princeton University. Princeton is currently making available to their students a vaccine for the special strain of bacteria called Bexsero, produced by Novartis. The vaccine is not approved in the United States but has been cleared for use in Europe and Australia.

Meningococcal disease is caused by the bacteria Neisseria meningitidis, also called meningococcus. This disease is different from the more well-known meningitis. Meningococcal disease can develop into meningitis, but it can also cause blood infections that develop into sepsis. Meningitis is an inflammation of the meninges, or the membranes that cover the brain and the spinal chord, and can be caused by a number of things, such as physical trauma, cancer, and even certain drugs.

A picture of N. meningitidis, from Bioquell's page about the bacterium.

Meningitis symptoms include headache, fever, vomiting, a stiff neck, rashes, confusion, and increased sensitivity to light. If untreated, it can cause hearing and brain damage, limb amputations, and can eventually be fatal. Because the bacteria is spread through saliva and respiratory droplets, UCSB is asking all of its fraternities and sororities to keep from having large parties, where cups could move from one person to another.

Bacterial meningitis is a rare form of meningitis, and the sort caused by the type B strain of N. meningitidis is even rarer. The article states that "in 2012, there were 480 cases of bacterial meningitis in the United States, according to the CDC. Of those, 160 were group B." Only 1/3 of bacterial meningitis cases in the U.S. last year were type B. It is so rare that the U.S. does not even have a vaccine that protects against this strain, which is why Princeton made an unlicensed vaccine available to their students.

I thought I'd share this news because reminded me of the 2012 meningitis outbreak in Massachusetts that was linked to contaminated medication. However, this has different implications for the people involved. In Massachusetts, we could blame the outbreak on the mistakes of pharmaceutical companies, but in California and New Jersey, there is no one to blame, nothing to distract from the struggle to keep the outbreak from turning into a full-fledged epidemic.

I think Princeton's decision to give their students the option of getting the type B vaccine was a good call, despite it not being licensed for use in the U.S. The vaccine is not untested; after all, both Europe and Australia have cleared its use. Also, as I previously mentioned, there is no licensed vaccine for meningitis B in the U.S. Being able to have this method of protecting themselves provides a level of comfort and security for those at Princeton who have not yet been infected.

Also, how the bacterium spreads (via saliva and respiratory droplets) reminded me of how smallpox spreads. Now eradicated, smallpox was spread through respiratory droplets, and it left its mark on the world. If this meningococcal outbreak reaches the extent of some of history's smallpox epidemics, it could devastate the United States. However, that will probably never happen. We have far better health care today than ever in the past, and our knowledge of how diseases are spread and how to treat different diseases has increased to such an extent that death tolls like those seen in the Boston smallpox epidemic of 1721 are few and far between.


Thanks to everyone who read through everything and managed to get down this far. Here's the original article, for anyone who's interested in reading it themselves:
"4th case of meningococcal disease at UCSB" by Elizabeth Landau, CNN
http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/03/health/santa-barbara-illness/

If you want to learn more about meningococcal disease and/or how to protect yourself from it, the Centers for Disease Control has a page all about it that you can find here: http://www.cdc.gov/meningococcal/