Announcement

**Emily** · November 20, 2013, 01:34 AM

Re: CA: Two UCSB Students Diagnosed With Meningococcal Disease (Santa Barbara Co.)

One case might have been a type B.

http://www.lompocrecord.com/news/loc...a4bcf887a.html

Two UCSB students diagnosed with meningitis
University, county Public Health sounding alarm

22 hours ago ? Staff report
(0) Comments
...
College-aged persons, especially first-year students living in residence halls, are at increased risk of meningococcal disease. Although the first recent case was caused by a strain of the bacteria that is not prevented by either of the available meningococcal vaccines, it is important for students to be up to date with meningococcal vaccination.

**Shiloh** · November 20, 2013, 07:01 AM

Re: CA: Two UCSB Students Diagnosed With Meningococcal Disease (Santa Barbara Co.)

Source: http://www.kcoy.com/story/24017677/m...-ucsb-students

Meningitis Bacteria Found in UCSB Students
Posted: Nov 20, 2013 2:06 AM EST Updated: Nov 20, 2013 2:07 AM EST
By Keith Carls

...One of the two students is reportedly in critical condition in the hospital...

...County Public Health says its not an outbreak but they also point out the bacteria is easily spread in densely populated areas like college campuses and neighboring communities...

**Shiloh** · November 21, 2013, 03:04 PM

Re: California: UCSB Students Diagnosed With Meningococcal Disease (Santa Barbara Co.)- 3rd case reported

Source: http://www.noozhawk.com/article/meni...rbara_20131121

Meningococcal Disease Outbreak Confirmed at UCSB
By Lara Cooper, Noozhawk Staff Writer | Published on 11.21.2013 11:45 a.m.

Santa Barbara County public health officials announced Thursday that a third case of meningococcal disease has been confirmed at UC Santa Barbara ? thus meeting the definition of an outbreak.

Health officials confirmed for Noozhawk that at least two of the affected students live on campus...

**Emily** · November 21, 2013, 03:26 PM

Re: California: UCSB Students Diagnosed With Meningococcal Disease (Santa Barbara Co.)- 3rd case reported

That article again gives the impression that this is type B since they say that no vaccine exists in the U.S. to prevent it and they are treating 300 hundred contacts with preventive medication.

**Shiloh** · November 25, 2013, 06:25 PM

Re: California: UCSB Students Diagnosed With Meningococcal Disease (Santa Barbara Co.)- 3rd case reported - type B

Source: http://studenthealth.sa.ucsb.edu/CMS...Nov%202013.pdf

Press release from the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department
dated November 21, 2013:

Alert: Meningococcal Disease Outbreak in UCSB Students

This alert is to notify providers of an outbreak of Meningococcal Disease among students at UC Santa Barbara. There are currently 3 confirmed cases of Meningococcal Disease, including meningococcemia and meningitis, in 3 undergraduate students. The bacteria Neisseria meningitidis has been cultured from all three patients, and is susceptible to first-line antibiotics.
The dates of illness onset for the 3 cases were November 11, 13, and 18.

Laboratory testing has determined that 2 of the 3 cases are serogroup B, which is notcovered by the meningococcal vaccine. Serogroup testing on the third case is pending. This means that previously vaccinated students are not protected against this particular strain. There is currently no FDA-
approved vaccine against serogroup B.

The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department has been working closely with UCSB to conduct a thorough contact investigation. We have been identifying close contacts to the index cases, and providing antibiotic prophylaxis to those who meet the definition of ?close contact?, (defined as
individuals who may have come into contact with the saliva or respiratory
secretions of the ill patients through kissing, sharing eating utensils, drinking cups, cigarettes, or extended face-to-face interactions within 7 days of the onset of illness). The antibiotic being used for prophylaxis is Ciprofloxacin 500 mg orally in one single dose. This antibiotic decreases the chance that the exposed person will develop Meningococcal Disease. We are
not recommending antibiotic prophylaxis for community members or UCSB students in general. We are only recommending prophylaxis for individuals specifically identified as a close contact to an index case.

The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department is requesting that community providers be on alert for college-age patients presenting with symptoms of Meningococcal Disease. These symptoms include fever, myalgias, headache, new rash, vomiting, and photophobia. It is important to note that Meningococcal Disease has a 10 - 30% mortality rate; early treatment is essential to a good outcome. The PHD is recommending that college - aged patients with the above symptoms be sent to the Emergency Room for blood cultures and evaluation. In addition, all suspected
cases should be reported to Disease Control at (805) 681-5280.

We will continue to work with UCSB, the California Department of Public Health, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to respond to this outbreak in a proactive, timely manner. New information and recomm
endations will be provided as they become available.

**Shiloh** · November 26, 2013, 05:39 PM

Re: California: UCSB Students Diagnosed With Meningococcal Disease (Santa Barbara Co.)- 3rd case reported - type B

Source: http://www.edhat.com/site/tidbit.cfm?nid=125262

Local Student
updated: Nov 26, 2013, 11:36 AM

By Edhat Subscriber

Aaron Loy, a UCSB freshman on the lacrosse team, was one of the three students diagnosed with the meningococcal disease that causes meningitis. His family has started an online journal to track his progress through CaringBridge.org. ..

**Emily** · November 27, 2013, 05:40 AM

Re: California: UCSB Students Diagnosed With Meningococcal Disease (Santa Barbara Co.)- 3rd case reported - type B

http://www.noozhawk.com/article/no_n...cases_20131126

UCSB Student with Meningitis Has Feet Amputated; No New Cases Reported on Campus

By Giana Magnoli, Noozhawk Staff Writer
Published on 11.26.2013 9:07 p.m.

**Emily** · December 3, 2013, 02:20 AM

Re: California: UCSB Students Diagnosed With Meningococcal Disease (Santa Barbara Co.)- 3rd case reported - type B

http://www.noozhawk.com/article/four..._ucsb_20131202

Fourth Case of Meningitis Reported at UCSB

By Giana Magnoli, Noozhawk Staff Writer | @magnoli | Published on 12.02.2013 3:12 p.m.

A fourth case of meningococcal disease has been reported at UC Santa Barbara, the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department reported Monday afternoon.

All four undergraduate students became ill within a three-week period in November, including three within a week ? which qualifies as an outbreak.

The most recent case involves an 18-year-old male student who was not at school when the disease was confirmed, Public Health spokeswoman Susan Klein-Rothschild said. She could not say where the student was located.
...
The county is also recommending that students refrain from participating in social events that involve close personal contact, such as parties sponsored by Greek Life organizations, to prevent future cases....

**Shiloh** · December 3, 2013, 01:03 PM

Re: California: UCSB Students Diagnosed With Meningococcal Disease (Santa Barbara Co.)- 4th case reported - type B

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...a-college.html

College lacrosse player, 18, has lower part of both legs amputated after meningitis outbreak at California college

Undergrad student Aaron Loy, 18, from Carlsbad, had the lower part of both legs amputated after severe complications from the bacterial disease
He became ill in November along with three other undergraduate students at the University of California, Santa Barbara
Loy, who was on the freshman lacrosse team, almost lost his life to the disease
Preventive antibiotics given to more than 500 students who had close contact with the infected students
The outbreak comes less than two weeks after seven cases of meningitis occurred on Princeton University's college campus in New Jersey
The most common symptoms of meningitis are fever, severe headaches and neck stiffness

By Marie-louise Olson

PUBLISHED: 14:45 GMT, 3 December 2013 | UPDATED: 14:59 GMT, 3 December 2013

A teenager who caught meningitis at a California university last month has had both his legs amputated as school officials confirm a fourth person has been diagnosed...

**Shiloh** · December 11, 2013, 12:22 PM

Re: California: UCSB Students Diagnosed With Meningococcal Disease (Santa Barbara Co.)- 4th case reported - type B

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/health/worrie...ine-2D11724102

Worried UCSB parents demand equal access to Princeton's meningitis vaccine
JoNel Aleccia NBC News
3 hours ago

Anxious parents of University of California, Santa Barbara, students are demanding their kids get access to an emergency meningitis vaccine being offered this week at Princeton University...

**Emily** · December 11, 2013, 05:45 PM

Re: California: UCSB Students Diagnosed With Meningococcal Disease (Santa Barbara Co.)- 4th case reported - type B

The NBC article Shiloh posted answers a question I've had: why are the case outcomes so much worse at UCSB than Princeton?

The bacteria behind the outbreaks at the two schools are both B strains, but with different genetic fingerprints. There?s no doubt that the vaccine, Bexsero, made by Novartis, will protect against them both, Clark said.

**Shiloh** · December 12, 2013, 10:05 PM

Re: California: UCSB Students Diagnosed With Meningococcal Disease (Santa Barbara Co.)- 4th case reported - type B

Source: http://wkzo.com/news/articles/2013/d...lege-outbreak/

California asks to use non-approved meningitis vaccine for college outbreak
Thursday, December 12, 2013 9:19 p.m. EST

SACRAMENTO, California (Reuters) - Public health officials in California said Thursday they had sought permission from the federal government to use a vaccine not approved for use in the United States against an outbreak of meningococcal disease among college students in California...

**Shiloh** · December 25, 2013, 02:28 PM

Re: California: UCSB Students Diagnosed With Meningococcal Disease (Santa Barbara Co.)- 4th case reported - type B

Source: http://www.independent.com/news/2013...outbreak-ucsb/

Meningococcal Outbreak at UCSB
An Update from Public Health
Wednesday, December 25, 2013
By Charity Thoman, MD, MPH

Greetings from the front lines of Disease Control. It?s been a little busy over here.

For the past month, I?ve been overseeing the Public Health Department?s coordinated response to the outbreak of meningococcal disease at UC Santa Barbara. I want to give our community a personal update on the latest developments, in an effort to stay transparent and direct with the public we serve...

**Shiloh** · January 7, 2014, 12:12 PM

Re: California: UCSB Students Diagnosed With Meningococcal Disease (Santa Barbara Co.)- college to get vaccine

Source: http://www.ecanadanow.com/health/201...ingitis-shots/

After an outbreak of meningitis B that affected four students last fall at the University of California, Santa Barbara campus, school officials report they are importing vaccine to prevent a health disaster. Officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirm as many as 20,000 doses should be arriving in California by the end of the month as a precautionary measure. Although no new reports of students having meningitis have been reported since the original four, including one that resulted in a double foot amputation, University officials are taking no chances...