A Dillard University student died Friday of a rare blood infection capable of spreading bacteria throughout the body. Kevin Stephens, New Orleans Health Department director, said neisseria meningitidis bacteria infected the student’s bloodstream. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, neisseria meningitidis is a leading cause of bacterial meningitis. Also commonly referred to as spinal meningitis, the disease infects a person’s spinal cord and fluids surrounding the brain. Stephens said he has not yet completed an autopsy examination to determine the presence of meningitis. With five percent of the population carrying the bacteria in their throat, Stephens said 0.4 percent out of 200,000 humans who come in contact with neisseria meningitidis will contract meningococcal meningitis. “It usually does not cause anyone a problem unless you are one of the 0.4,” he said. Karen Celestan, senior director of university communications, said the university cannot release the student’s name because of privacy issues concerning his family. Celestan said the case remains isolated with no indications of further infection. Stephens said the student had a rash on his body – one sign of a bacterial infected bloodstream. Other common symptoms for a carrier include high fever, headache and flu-like symptoms. Celestan said in following the university’s commitment to a healthy environment, the Louisiana Office of Public Health administered free vaccines Wednesday to faculty, staff and students. The immunizations are specifically used to fight meningococcal infections. State law requires all incoming university freshmen to receive the vaccine. Stephens said despite the state law, he is not sure what measures institutions in the state are taking to ensure students are getting vaccinated. And while the chances of coming into contact with the bacteria are slim, Stephens said receiving the vaccination can prevent a person from becoming a carrier. He urged students, particularly incoming freshman living in close quarters such as dormitories, to get the vaccine. But Stephens said students need to practice personal hygiene and receive the vaccine. “Don’t share razors and bodily fluids with other people,” he said. “We are in the middle of flu season, so you can decrease your risk by having these hygienic practices.”
—-Contact Natalie Messina at [email protected]