Spinal meningitis, a potentially-deadly infection that often strikes on college campuses and recently appeared at Dartmouth, is an inflammation of the membrane around the brain and the spinal cord that is transmitted through droplets in the air.
Slade Ellis '98 is currently in Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in serious condition with spinal meningitis.
The two main types of meningitis are viral and bacterial.
The viral strain is short-lived and usually benign, but bacterial meningitis can be fatal if not quickly treated with antibiotics. College officials said Ellis probably has bacterial meningitis.
Only people in close contact with victims -- like roommates or family members -- run the risk of contracting the disease.
"The bacteria moves from the blood into the spinal fluid contained in the membrane," said Dr. Megan Shenks of the Department of Neurology at the University of California at San Diego Medical School.
"The membrane gets infected and swollen, which causes headaches," she said.
Other symptoms include fever, vomiting and a stiff neck. Victims may also suffer from loss of appetite, constipation and intolerance to light and sound.
Delirium, convulsions and coma are the most serious effects of the disease.
Director of College Health Services Jack Turco said students who think they might have meningitis should call Health Services.
Most people who harbor the bacteria are merely carriers and do not exhibit any symptoms, Shenks said. Three in 1,000 people living in close contact with victims will develop symptoms, according to Shenks.
Others may carry the bacteria but not suffer from meningitis.
After 24 hours of treatment with antibiotics, victims are no longer contagious, Shenks said.
People who have close contact with victims are frequently treated with a drug called Rifampin, the drug used to treat Ellis's friends.
Victims of bacterial meningitis most frequently contract the disease in institutional settings such as army barracks and college dormitories, according to the Cambridge World History of Human Disease.
Meningitis is most commonly contracted during the winter because of crowded indoor living and the cold temperature and low humidity's effects on the mucous membranes, according to the book.
