TAMPA, Fla. — According to doctors, meningococcal illness is extraordinarily harmful.
“It’s in a total league of its own,” stated Dr. Jill Roberts, Associate Professor for the USF College of Public Health. “70% of people who are untreated will die of the disease. With treatment 10% will still die of the disease.”
That’s why the Florida Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are sounding the alarm.
The CDC is calling the current meningococcal outbreak in Florida, one of the worst in history.
The CDC confirms at least 26 cases so far and seven deaths in the state.
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“It’s an incredibly, incredibly high number of deaths,” stated Roberts.
The illness is generally unfold via saliva and shut, prolonged contact.
“The good news about it is it can’t spread nearly as well as the coronavirus. It’s not airborne,” stated Roberts.
The two commonest meningococcal infections are meningitis, which is an an infection of the liner of the mind and spinal twine, and a bloodstream an infection.
Both can rapidly turn into lethal.
“Be aware of the big three symptoms. If you have a combination of headache, fever, and a stiff neck, you need emergency care. Emergency. You can go from those symptoms to dead in 24 hours,” stated Roberts.
Other indicators of an an infection embrace:
- nausea
- vomiting
- a darkish purple rash
- signs can first appear delicate and worsen quick
“If you get aggressive antibiotic treatment very, very quickly you still see one in five individuals lose a limb, lose hearing, have neurological damage, have brain damage. Meningitis is no joke,” stated Roberts.
Health officers are actually urging individuals to get vaccinated.
“The vaccine is about 85% efficacious meaning it’s a pretty darn good vaccine,” stated Roberts.
Doctors stress this illness is vaccine-preventable.
They’re now urgently pushing for essentially the most weak populations on this outbreak to get vaccinated as quickly as attainable. That consists of:
- males who’ve intercourse with males
- people who find themselves HIV optimistic
- anybody who’s immunocompromised
- school college students
“It’s on the childhood schedule, it’s recommended between the ages of 11 and 12 and has to be boosted,” stated Roberts.
“Go get your booster if you haven’t already or go start your primary series,” she added.
