And because of this debate among the medical profession, there is no clear answer for students wonder how best to protect themselves against meningitis.
Meningitis Unmasked
"The blood infection is what kills you," he said.
The disease is spread through close contract between two people, such as sharing a drink. Not all cases of contact actually spread the disease, however, since the bacteria cannot survive for long outside the body.
Meningitis is extremely powerful. According to CDC statistics, roughly 13 percent of bacterial meningitis cases result in death, including 20 to 25 percent of meningococcemia cases.
Those who contract the disease initially experience flu-like symptoms. The disease progresses extremely rapidly, though, and life-threatening symptoms--such as inflammation of the brain and the spinal cord--can appear within a matter of hours.
The other form of meningitis, caused by a virus, is far less serious than the bacterial strain.
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