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An urgent health alert has been issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as the United States witnesses a sharp increase in the incidence of invasive meningococcal disease. According to CDC, meningococcal disease “refers to any illness caused by bacteria called Neisseria meningitidis. These illnesses are often severe, can be deadly, and include infections of the lining of the brain and spinal cord (meningitis) and bloodstream.” Transmission occurs through close contact, prompting urgent calls for individuals with symptoms to seek care promptly to improve outcomes with timely antibiotic treatment. With 422 cases recorded last year, this figure...

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week reported at least seven deaths among gay and bisexual men from the serious meningococcal disease outbreak in Florida and at least 24 cases of the disease. The agency described the situation in a news release as "one of the worst outbreaks of meningococcal disease among gay and bisexual men in U.S. history." While the CDC referenced those figures last Wednesday, data from the Florida Department of Health showed 44 cases of the disease in 16 counties in Florida as of Wednesday.

In response to a recent outbreak of meningococcal disease in Florida, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a health warning: get vaccinated. And since the outbreak is primarily affecting sexually active gay and bi men in the area, they are especially encouraging this population to do so. Meningococcal disease is caused by a bacteria called Neisseria meningitidis and is preventable and treatable, says the CDC, however, it can quickly become deadly — so prevention and early detection and treatment are key. The warning also stated that getting vaccinated is the best way to protect against meningococcal...

Florida’s Department of Health (FDOH) said on Thursday that the number of cases identified so far in 2022 surpasses the five-year average of meningococcal disease cases in the state. FDOH said its epidemiologists are investigating each case as well as contacting people with potential or direct exposure to known cases to provide them with information and treatment options. It urged college and university students, immunocompromised individuals, people living with HIV and men who have sex with men to get vaccinated against the disease immediately.

When the university announced the first case in early September, many on campus lined up to get vaccinated, providing significant protection against future infection. But vaccination does not ward off infections that are already present, and a person whose nasal passages have been colonized by the bacteria may not get sick right away. Officials urged the entire campus population to keep their eyes open for symptoms of meningococcal disease, including fever, intense headache, lethargy, stiff neck and a rash that does not blanch under pressure. Anyone with any of these symptoms should take them seriously and seek immediate medical attention....

HUNTINGTON BEACH (CBSLA.com) — Public health officials in Orange County issued a warning Friday about a potential outbreak of meningococcal disease after an 18-year-old Huntington Beach girl was diagnosed with the infection. Kaitlyn Dobrow has been hospitalized at UC Irvine Medical Center since February following surgeries to amputate parts of all four of her limbs, along with suffering severe skin damage. Dobrow first began complaining of head and body aches on Feb. 12, according to her mother, Kathi, who says Kaitlyn was unable to get out of bed hours later despite taking Advil for her symptoms. The paramedics were called...

(1010 WINS) BALTIMORE Tests show a Johns Hopkins University sophomore from Long Island who died earlier this week most likely had a meningococcal infection. Gilbert Duvalsaint of Searingtown, Long Island was taken by ambulance to a hospital Wednesday. His condition quickly deteriorated, and he died. The university says it first believed Duvalsaint had suffered an allergic reaction. But preliminary lab results now point to the infection. Meningococcal infections can lead to bacterial meningitis. But they spread only after very close contact. Campus authorities are contacting those close to Duvalsaint so they can begin taking antibiotics as a precaution. The 19-year-old...

<p>SAN DIEGO(AP) - A Marine recruit who died earlier this month had a severe meningococcal bacteria infection and was not affected by a Strep A outbreak that caused dozens of military personnel to be hospitalized, officials said.</p> <p>Pvt. Miguel Zavala, 18, of Greenfield, died Dec. 15, the same day 3,500 recruits and instructors received inoculations against Strep A, which in extreme cases can cause organ failure or necrotizing fasciitis, a deadly flesh-eating disease. The inoculations were planned before Zavala's death.</p>

Outbreak of Serogroup W135 Meningococcal Disease After the Hajj Pilgrimage, Europe, 2000 from Emerging Infectious DiseasesPosted 09/23/2002 Jean-François Aguilera, Anne Perrocheau, Christine Meffre, Susan Hahné, and the W135 Working Group Abstract and Introduction Abstract The 2000 Hajj (March 15-18) was followed by an outbreak of Neisseria meningitidis W135 2a: P1.2,5 in Europe. From March 18 to July 31, 2000, some 90 cases of meningococcal infection were reported from nine countries, mostly the United Kingdom (UK) and France; 14 cases were fatal. Although most early cases were in pilgrims, the outbreak spread to their contacts and then to those with no...