Officials from the V.I. Department of Health have confirmed a case of Neisseria Meningitidis that resulted in a death in the territory.
A statement issued Thursday by Health Commissioner Darice Plaskett said officials from the department have been in contact with the family to implement control measures to prevent an outbreak of the disease. The commissioner explained the danger of the bacteria.
“Neisseria Meningitidis is a bacteria that can cause Meningococcal disease, also known as meningitis," Plaskett said. "This usually means the lining of the brain and spinal cord have become infected with the bacteria.”
She said the disease is “highly contagious, spreading among people in close or prolonged contact. This is why it was of utmost importance to ensure that household contacts and persons who have had intimate contact with the infected person receive antibiotics to prevent them from getting sick and to prevent an outbreak,” Plaskett said.
The bacteria is spread through the exchange of respiratory and throat secretions, such as cough and spit, which can occur in case where people live in close quarters. It can also be spread through kissing, she said.
Symptoms include high fever, headache and stiff neck and can appear two to 10 days after infection, most often within three to four days.
Dr. Tai Hunte said, "An outbreak is defined as multiple cases in a community over a short period of time. Sometimes having just two cases of the same strain can meet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention definition of an outbreak.”
“While it can be very serious, meningitis can be treated with antibiotics that prevent severe illness and reduce the spread of infection from person to person,” Hunte said. “Quick medical attention is extremely important if meningitis is suspected."
Thursday’s news release did not specify which island the case was found on.
The department has asked health care providers in the territory to be vigilant for symptoms of meningitis and to report suspected and confirmed cases to the Department of Health using the V.I. Notifiable Disease form. Forms should be submitted via confidential fax to 1-340-713-1508. Copies of the form, which have been distributed to health care providers, can also be found by visiting www.healthvi.org and downloaded under forms and applications via www.healthvi.org.
More information about Neisseria Meningitidis is available online at the CDC website, www.cdc.gov/meningococcal/indexhtml.
