Study: Dorm Life Poses Meningitis Risk

As the number of meningitis cases continues to rise among young adults, a new study reports that college freshmen who live in dorms have a three times greater risk of meningococcal disease, a bacteria that can cause meningitis, than other college students.

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However, U.S. college students as a group are at no greater overall risk for the infection than non-students in similar age groups, according to the article in Wednesday's issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Meningococcal meningitis is a bacterial infection of membranes around the brain and spinal cord that can be spread by kissing or sharing utensils. Symptoms include fever, neck stiffness and headache.

Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta analyzed 96 cases of meningococcal disease, as reported by 50 state health departments and 231 college health centers. Of these 96 cases, 30 -- 31 percent occurred among freshmen in dormitories.

"Because of the close quarters in which they live, freshmen in dormitories may be exposed to [bacteria] more frequently than other college students," the researchers wrote.

But while overcrowding is one possible explanation, the authors emphasize that there's not enough information to suggest that changes in living conditions would decrease risk among college students.

The CDC encourages college students to be vaccinated for meningococcal disease. Other vaccines currently under development will be available in the U.S. within two to three years, and are expected to provide long-lasting immunity in infants and adults.

Thank you for participating in our survey.Should Meningitis Vaccinations Be Required For Students?Should meningitis vaccinations be required for incoming college freshmen? Yes, it's for their own safety.No, it should be optional.August is National Immunization Awareness Month, sponsored by the National Partnership for Immunization. According to their Web site, the CDC hopes to alert parents and students to the need for immunizations before heading off to college. Some campuses offer meningococcal vaccines, and the vaccine is also available through health-care providers.

Maryland Study

In an accompanying article, researchers from the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health in Baltimore reported that Maryland has a high fatality rate in meningitis cases. They also report that the majority of the cases were preventable by vaccine.

Among 295 total cases of meningococcal infection in Maryland during the 1990s, 24.1 percent occurred among persons aged 15 to 24, and 22.5 percent of these cases were fatal.

"Infection in 15- through 24-year-olds was more likely to be fatal than infection in those younger than age 15 years," the authors report.

The authors estimate that 82.8 percent of the infections in 15- to 24-year-olds were potentially preventable by an available vaccine.