Meningitis
[Example to support student writing only - not a valid reference source]
What is meningitis?
Meningitis involves the swelling of the meninges--the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord. The disease is contagious, but it can be spread only by direct contact (coughing, sneezing, kissing) with someone who is infected. Meningitis is hard for doctors to diagnose because its early symptoms are similar to those of the flu (fever, headache, stiff neck, and vomiting). Rashes are also common. If meningitis is not diagnosed quickly, very serious problems--even death--can occur in as little as a few hours.
What are the types of meningitis?
The Infection can be caused by various kinds of bacteria or by a virus.
* The bacterial form is far more dangerous and can result in death. Survivors can be left with hearing loss, limb loss, and kidney disease. Bacterial meningitis can be treated with antibiotics, but they are effective only if the disease is caught early enough. This form can be prevented with vaccination.
* The viral form has symptoms similar to those of the bacterial form, but it is not as deadly or harmful. Viral meningitis can't be prevented with a vaccine or treated with any medication. Those who are infected usually recover on their own.
Who contracts meningitis?
Striking about 3,000 Americans each year, bacterial meningitis is pretty rare; a viral version is more common, but still relatively infrequent. Still, teens and young adults are at increased risk compared with other people because they are more often in crowded settings that can give meningitis a chance to spread, including boarding schools, college dormitories, and summer camps. Also, teens have a higher rate of death from meningitis than other age groups do, and about one in five of those who survive the disease suffer long-term health problems, such as brain damage, kidney disease, or limb amputations.
What are some example cases of Meningitis?
Such was the case for Kayla St. Pierre of Lawrence, Mass., who suffered from the disease when she was 10. "One day, I felt sluggish at school, and the nurse said I had the flu and sent me home," says St. Pierre, now a 20-year-old sophomore at Northeastern University in Boston. "The next morning, I had a rash all over my body. I didn't know what it was, but my parents knew something was wrong, so we went to the emergency room." Doctors discovered that she had meningitis.
Unfortunately, by that point, the disease had already taken hold. Doctors had to amputate both of St. Pierre's legs at the knee, as well as a few fingers. She also endured several months of skin grafts to repair the damage from the rash and physical therapy to restrengthen her muscles.
However, when the disease is caught early enough, victims have a greater chance of beating it. For example, Kaeley Hamilton of Temple Terrace, Fla., was 8 when she was stricken with meningitis. "I had all the typical symptoms of the flu, but the fever was really high and made my mom nervous, so we went to the doctor," recalls Hamilton, now 19. "They caught the meningitis early." Hamilton, who did not suffer any devastating effects, emerged with a deep understanding of meningitis: "Many people die from this disease, but that can be prevented by early detection and treatment."
How can we prevent meningitis?
The best way to prevent meningitis is vaccination. There are two vaccines available. One is recommended for all children between ages 11 and 12. The other is for older teens, who should be vaccinated before entering high school or college.
Soon after her son's death, Lynn Bozof got in touch with other parents who had experienced a similar nightmare because of meningitis. Within four years, the National Meningitis Association (NMA) was born. "After my son died, we found out the disease was vaccine-preventable," says Bozof. "Had he been vaccinated, he'd be alive today." As a result, Bozof and the NMA have worked to raise awareness of meningitis. "We wanted to prevent this from happening to other families," she says.
Who should follow these preventative steps?
Not everyone should get vaccinated, however. Those who are allergic to the vaccine's ingredients or who have a history of Guillain-Barré syndrome should not receive the meningitis shot. For almost everyone else, the benefits far outweigh the risks. "The most important message is to get vaccinated," says Dr. John Sinnott, director of the Division of Infectious Disease at the University of South Florida in Tampa. Vaccination against meningitis, he adds, is "absolutely essential and one of the greatest advances in medicine."
National health officials now recommend that all college freshmen living in dormitories receive the meningitis vaccination, and more than 30 states have turned that recommendation into law--which is how it should be, according to Hamilton.
"It's good to know that there are steps that can be taken to prevent getting meningitis, especially for those about to go to college," she says. "It's important for all college freshmen to get the vaccine. If they don't, they leave themselves vulnerable, as well as run the risk of infecting all of their classmates."
What other protective measures can we take?
Vaccination is the best defense against bacterial meningitis. Here are some other ways to prevent infection.
Don't share water bottles, drinking glasses, or eating utensils with friends.
Wash your hands before eating, after using the bathroom, and whenever they're dirty.
Get enough sleep each night to keep your immune system in top form; teens need between 81/2 and 91/4 hours of shut-eye.
Don't smoke or linger in places where others are smoking, to keep your lungs healthy.
References:
"House, Senate Committees Investigate Meningitis Outbreak." Issues In Science & Technology 29.2 (2013): 23-24. Readers' Guide Full Text Select
H.W. Wilson). Web. 8 Nov. 2014.
Park, Alice. "Meningitis Mess." Time 180.18 (2012): 18. Readers' Guide Full Text Select (H.W. Wilson). Web. 8 Nov. 2014.
Shah, Sonia. "Globalizing Clinical Research." Nation 275.1 (2002): 23-28. Readers' Guide Full Text Select (H.W. Wilson). Web. 8 Nov. 2014.
[Example to support student writing only - not a valid reference source]
What is meningitis?
Meningitis involves the swelling of the meninges--the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord. The disease is contagious, but it can be spread only by direct contact (coughing, sneezing, kissing) with someone who is infected. Meningitis is hard for doctors to diagnose because its early symptoms are similar to those of the flu (fever, headache, stiff neck, and vomiting). Rashes are also common. If meningitis is not diagnosed quickly, very serious problems--even death--can occur in as little as a few hours.
What are the types of meningitis?
The Infection can be caused by various kinds of bacteria or by a virus.
* The bacterial form is far more dangerous and can result in death. Survivors can be left with hearing loss, limb loss, and kidney disease. Bacterial meningitis can be treated with antibiotics, but they are effective only if the disease is caught early enough. This form can be prevented with vaccination.
* The viral form has symptoms similar to those of the bacterial form, but it is not as deadly or harmful. Viral meningitis can't be prevented with a vaccine or treated with any medication. Those who are infected usually recover on their own.
Who contracts meningitis?
Striking about 3,000 Americans each year, bacterial meningitis is pretty rare; a viral version is more common, but still relatively infrequent. Still, teens and young adults are at increased risk compared with other people because they are more often in crowded settings that can give meningitis a chance to spread, including boarding schools, college dormitories, and summer camps. Also, teens have a higher rate of death from meningitis than other age groups do, and about one in five of those who survive the disease suffer long-term health problems, such as brain damage, kidney disease, or limb amputations.
What are some example cases of Meningitis?
Such was the case for Kayla St. Pierre of Lawrence, Mass., who suffered from the disease when she was 10. "One day, I felt sluggish at school, and the nurse said I had the flu and sent me home," says St. Pierre, now a 20-year-old sophomore at Northeastern University in Boston. "The next morning, I had a rash all over my body. I didn't know what it was, but my parents knew something was wrong, so we went to the emergency room." Doctors discovered that she had meningitis.
Unfortunately, by that point, the disease had already taken hold. Doctors had to amputate both of St. Pierre's legs at the knee, as well as a few fingers. She also endured several months of skin grafts to repair the damage from the rash and physical therapy to restrengthen her muscles.
However, when the disease is caught early enough, victims have a greater chance of beating it. For example, Kaeley Hamilton of Temple Terrace, Fla., was 8 when she was stricken with meningitis. "I had all the typical symptoms of the flu, but the fever was really high and made my mom nervous, so we went to the doctor," recalls Hamilton, now 19. "They caught the meningitis early." Hamilton, who did not suffer any devastating effects, emerged with a deep understanding of meningitis: "Many people die from this disease, but that can be prevented by early detection and treatment."
How can we prevent meningitis?
The best way to prevent meningitis is vaccination. There are two vaccines available. One is recommended for all children between ages 11 and 12. The other is for older teens, who should be vaccinated before entering high school or college.
Soon after her son's death, Lynn Bozof got in touch with other parents who had experienced a similar nightmare because of meningitis. Within four years, the National Meningitis Association (NMA) was born. "After my son died, we found out the disease was vaccine-preventable," says Bozof. "Had he been vaccinated, he'd be alive today." As a result, Bozof and the NMA have worked to raise awareness of meningitis. "We wanted to prevent this from happening to other families," she says.
Who should follow these preventative steps?
Not everyone should get vaccinated, however. Those who are allergic to the vaccine's ingredients or who have a history of Guillain-Barré syndrome should not receive the meningitis shot. For almost everyone else, the benefits far outweigh the risks. "The most important message is to get vaccinated," says Dr. John Sinnott, director of the Division of Infectious Disease at the University of South Florida in Tampa. Vaccination against meningitis, he adds, is "absolutely essential and one of the greatest advances in medicine."
National health officials now recommend that all college freshmen living in dormitories receive the meningitis vaccination, and more than 30 states have turned that recommendation into law--which is how it should be, according to Hamilton.
"It's good to know that there are steps that can be taken to prevent getting meningitis, especially for those about to go to college," she says. "It's important for all college freshmen to get the vaccine. If they don't, they leave themselves vulnerable, as well as run the risk of infecting all of their classmates."
What other protective measures can we take?
Vaccination is the best defense against bacterial meningitis. Here are some other ways to prevent infection.
Don't share water bottles, drinking glasses, or eating utensils with friends.
Wash your hands before eating, after using the bathroom, and whenever they're dirty.
Get enough sleep each night to keep your immune system in top form; teens need between 81/2 and 91/4 hours of shut-eye.
Don't smoke or linger in places where others are smoking, to keep your lungs healthy.
References:
"House, Senate Committees Investigate Meningitis Outbreak." Issues In Science & Technology 29.2 (2013): 23-24. Readers' Guide Full Text Select
H.W. Wilson). Web. 8 Nov. 2014.
Park, Alice. "Meningitis Mess." Time 180.18 (2012): 18. Readers' Guide Full Text Select (H.W. Wilson). Web. 8 Nov. 2014.
Shah, Sonia. "Globalizing Clinical Research." Nation 275.1 (2002): 23-28. Readers' Guide Full Text Select (H.W. Wilson). Web. 8 Nov. 2014.
