Thanks to the efforts of the Student Health Center and the Institute, as well as a quick response from the campus community, the case of meningitis that was diagnosed last week was the only one that occurred.
Medication was immediately administered to 150 students who were determined to be at risk of contracting the disease from the original student. In addition, Health Center staff members administered 1,885 doses of the meningitis vaccine to students, faculty, and staff who turned out on Tuesday and Wednesday of last week.
"Campus is to be commended," said Health Systems Manager Katrin Wesner, who coordinated the treatments.
The student who was diagnosed with the case was released Saturday "and is doing quite well," Wesner said.
The measures taken by the school were part of a procedure designed to handle these types of situations, which is based primarily on guidelines published by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
If the outbreak had spread, the CDC guidelines would have called for more extreme measures. According to Wesner, if three related cases were discovered, the CDC would suggest requiring vaccinations for everyone on campus. Those who were not vaccinated would not have been allowed onto the campus.
The situation did not get that far, but Wesner still suggests getting the vaccine.
"Every student should be vaccinated for meningitis," she said. Including students who were vaccinated during the sessions held in the Fall 1999 and 2000 semesters, as well as vaccinations that were administered throughout the year, Wesner estimates that 3,500 of RPI’s students have been vaccinated against the disease through the school.
The Institute will foot the bill for the nearly two thousand vaccinations administered last week. Vaccinations are still available through the Health Center at the regular fee of $75.
Meningitis is a bacterial or viral infection, depending on the strain, that affects the brain and spinal cord. It is transmitted through very close contact, such as sharing a glass, using the same towel, or other activities associated with living in close quarters.
The disease results in death in five to 15 percent of cases nationwide, according to the New York State Department of Health. The department reports that between 100 and 150 cases are reported in New York each year. In 1998, 119 cases were reported with only one fatality, far below the national average.
