St. Joe's meningitis case is unrelated to Penn outbreak
· April 27, 2009, 5:00 am
The student hospitalized with a meningococcal infection at St. Joseph's University has been confirmed to have strain B of the infection, the same strain that infected four Penn students in February and March.
But according to Penn spokeswoman Lori Doyle, the cases are not related.
"We can say confidently . that there is no connection between the case at St. Joe's and the Penn cases," she said.
The fourth case at Penn was reported in early March - well outside the two- to 10-day incubation period for the infection, Doyle added.
Strain B is the only one of five strains of the infection - A, B, C, Y and W-135 - for which there is no known vaccine.
Students at St. Joseph's were notified of the hospitalization through an alert posted on their student e-mail home page and the university's student health center Web site Thursday.
According to the alert, the student became ill on Wednesday afternoon and was sent to Lankenau Hospital immediately after being seen at the university's health center.
The health center opened its doors for extra hours this weekend and is encouraging anyone experiencing symptoms of the infection to seek medical treatment.
Comments (2)
MUSAorg
December 31, 1969, 7:00 pm
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The Meningitis Foundation of America (MFA), a national organization, would like the public and media to know that information is available regarding the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of meningitis. MFA was founded by parents whose children were affected by meningitis. In addition to supporting vaccines and other means of preventing meningitis, the MFA provides information to educate the public and medical professionals so that the early diagnosis, treatment and, most important, prevention of meningitis, will save lives. Meningitis is a dangerous and sometimes fatal inflammation of the brain and/or spinal cord that can leave survivors with serious life-long physical problems such as deafness, brain damage and other disabilities, meningitis can sometimes result in loss of limbs. MFA would like to be considered as a news resource for the disease. For further information, visit the MFA website at www.musa.org. MFA is proud to announce the new C.I.S.S. Container Identification Scratch System When we participate in sporting events or mingle at social gatherings it is possible to lose track of our water bottles and/or beverage cans, especially those served in containers that are very similar or identical to a container from which you are drinking. This carries the risk of transmitting an illness, such as meningitis or the common cold or flu. The Container Identification Scratch System, or C.I.S.S., is a fun way to make sure you always know your drink from others. Use it at sporting events or at family gatherings and reduce the waste from forgotten drinks. Simply scratch your number from the C.I.S.S. label and identify your drink. For more information please contact Bob Gold at Ciss.bob@gmail.com and www.musa.org Thank you, Meningitis Foundation of America P O Box 1818 El Mirage AZ 85335 480.270.2652 www.musa.org Join Hands against Meningitis World Meningitis Day April 25th
MUSAorg
December 31, 1969, 7:00 pm
Flag this comment
The Meningitis Foundation of America (MFA), a national organization, would like the public and media to know that information is available regarding the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of meningitis. MFA was founded by parents whose children were affected by meningitis. In addition to supporting vaccines and other means of preventing meningitis, the MFA provides information to educate the public and medical professionals so that the early diagnosis, treatment and, most important, prevention of meningitis, will save lives. Meningitis is a dangerous and sometimes fatal inflammation of the brain and/or spinal cord that can leave survivors with serious life-long physical problems such as deafness, brain damage and other disabilities, meningitis can sometimes result in loss of limbs. MFA would like to be considered as a news resource for the disease. For further information, visit the MFA website at www.musa.org. MFA is proud to announce the new C.I.S.S. Container Identification Scratch System When we participate in sporting events or mingle at social gatherings it is possible to lose track of our water bottles and/or beverage cans, especially those served in containers that are very similar or identical to a container from which you are drinking. This carries the risk of transmitting an illness, such as meningitis or the common cold or flu. The Container Identification Scratch System, or C.I.S.S., is a fun way to make sure you always know your drink from others. Use it at sporting events or at family gatherings and reduce the waste from forgotten drinks. Simply scratch your number from the C.I.S.S. label and identify your drink. For more information please contact Bob Gold at Ciss.bob@gmail.com and www.musa.org Thank you, Meningitis Foundation of America P O Box 1818 El Mirage AZ 85335 480.270.2652 www.musa.org Join Hands against Meningitis World Meningitis Day April 25th
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