New Requirement for
School Districts to Provide Bacterial Meningitis Information to Students and
Parents
Download this information as a .pdf.
In the 86th Legislature, HB 3884
required DSHS to create procedures for school districts to provide information
relating to bacterial meningitis to students and parents. DSHS shall prescribe
the form and content of the information. School districts should provide the
information below on the district website or provide a link to this page on the
district website. For school districts that do not maintain a website, the
information should be provided in hard copy to each student.
WHAT IS MENINGITIS?
Meningitis is an inflammation of the covering of the brain
and spinal cord. It can be caused by
viruses, parasites, fungi, and bacteria. Viral meningitis is most common and the least serious. Meningitis caused by bacteria is the most
likely form of the disease to cause serious, long-term complications. It is an uncommon disease but requires urgent
treatment with antibiotics to prevent permanent damage or death.
Bacterial meningitis can be caused by multiple organisms.Two common types are Streptococcus
pneumoniae, with over 80 serogroups that can cause illness, and Neisseria meningitidis, with 5
serogroups that most commonly cause meningitis.
WHAT ARE THE
SYMPTOMS?
Someone with bacterial meningitis will become very ill. The illness may develop over one or two days,
but it can also rapidly progress in a matter of hours. Not everyone with meningitis will have the
same symptoms.
Children (over 1 year old) and adults with meningitis may
have a severe headache, high temperature, vomiting, sensitivity to bright
lights, neck stiffness, and drowsiness or confusion. In both children and adults, there may be a
rash of tiny, red-purple spots. These
can occur anywhere on the body.
The diagnosis of bacterial meningitis is based on a
combination of symptoms and laboratory results.
HOW SERIOUS IS BACTERIAL
MENINGITIS?
If it is diagnosed early and treated promptly, most people
make a complete recovery. If left
untreated or treatment is delayed, bacterial meningitis can be fatal, or a
person may be left with permanent disability.
HOW IS BACTERIAL
MENINGITIS SPREAD?
Fortunately, none of the bacteria that cause meningitis are
as contagious as diseases like the common cold or the flu, and they are not
spread by simply breathing the air where a person with meningitis has
been. The germs live naturally in the
back of our noses and throats, but they do not live for long outside the
body. They are spread when people
exchange saliva (such as by kissing; sharing drinking containers, utensils, or
cigarettes) or when people cough or sneeze without covering their mouth and
nose.
The bacteria do not cause meningitis in most people. Instead, most people become carriers of the
bacteria for days, weeks or even months. The bacteria rarely overcome the body's immune system and cause
meningitis or another serious illness.
HOW CAN BACTERIAL
MENINGITIS BE PREVENTED?
Vaccination
Bacterial meningitis caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae and Neisseria
meningitidis may be prevented through vaccination. The vaccine which
protects against Streptococcus pneumoniae
is called pneumococcal conjugate vaccine or PCV. This vaccine is recommended by
the Advisory Council on Immunization Practices (ACIP) for children in the first
year of life. Neisseria meningitidis
is prevented through two types of vaccines. The first is a meningococcal conjugate
vaccine which protects against 4 serogroups A, C, W, and Y and is referred to
as MCV4. The second is a vaccine against Neisseria
meningitidis serogroup B and is referred to as MenB.
The ACIP recommends MCV4 for children at age 11-12 years,
with a booster dose at 16-18 years. In Texas, one dose of MCV4 given at or
after age 11 years is required for children in 7th-12th grades. One dose of
MCV4 received in the previous five years is required in Texas for those under
the age of 22 years and enrolling in college. Teens and young adults (16-23
years of age) may be vaccinated with MenB. This vaccine is not required for
school or college enrollment in Texas.
Vaccines to protect against bacterial meningitis are safe
and effective. Common side effects include redness and pain at the injection
site lasting up to two days. Immunity develops about 1-2 weeks after the
vaccines are given and lasts for 5 years to life depending on vaccine.
Healthy habits
Do not share food, drinks, utensils, toothbrushes, or cigarettes.
Wash your hands. Limit the number of persons you kiss. Cover your mouth and
nose when you sneeze or cough. Maintaining healthy habits, like getting plenty
of rest and not having close contact with people who are sick, also helps.
WHO IS AT RISK FOR
BACTERIAL MENINGITIS?
Certain groups are at increased risk for bacterial
meningitis caused by Neisseria
meningitidis. These risk factors include HIV infection, travel to places
where meningococcal disease is common (such as certain countries in Africa and
in Saudi Arabia), and college students living in a dormitory. Other risk
factors include having a previous viral infection, living in a crowded
household, or having an underlying chronic illness.
Children ages 11-15 years have the second highest rate of
death from bacterial meningitis caused by Neisseria
meningitidis. And children ages 16-23 years also have the second highest rates
of disease caused by Neisseria
meningiditis.
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO IF
YOU THINK YOU OR A FRIEND MIGHT HAVE BACTERIAL MENINGITIS?
Seek prompt medical attention.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Your school nurse, family doctor, and the staff at your
local or regional health department office are excellent sources for
information on all infectious diseases. You may call your family doctor or local
health department office
to ask about meningococcal vaccine.
Additional information may also be found at the web sites for the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): https://www.cdc.gov/meningitis/index.html
and the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS): https://www.dshs.texas.gov/immunize/PreteenVaccines.aspx
or https://dshs.texas.gov/IDCU/disease/meningitis/Meningitis.aspx