Why US-Universities Battle Meningitis Outbreaks

The CDC issued a health warning on April 9, 2022 about an outbreak of meningococcal disease in Florida. Multiple meningococcal disease cases in college students had been reported in the state of Florida over the last few months. On April 2, The Florida Department of Health announced three cases of bacterial meningitis in Leon County, Florida. All three young adults were confirmed to be current Florida State University students. Florida’s Department of Health (FDOH) published on April 7, 2022, that the number of cases identified so far in 2022 surpasses the five-year average in the state. Meningococcal meningitis is a rare but serious disease caused by Neisseria meningitidis. The only known reservoir of the gram-negative bacterium is the human nasopharyngeal tract. Bacterial colonization is comparatively common, while the organism does not typically cause disease. New acquisition is a major risk factor for meningococcal disease, while long-term carriage is not. Under largely...