Introduction
Bacterial meningitis is an infectious disease that is a dangerous threat to society, even in developed countries such as the US. It is a severe infection “with high fatality and morbidity rates,” and it continues to cause deaths despite the continuous attempts to eliminate it (Heckenberg, Brouwer, & van de Beek, 2014, p. 1373). Currently, 10 percent of the US population are carriers of the bacteria causing meningitis, and since the disease spreads quickly in tight communities, the threat is high for those who spend most of their time in public places. The bacteria may usually be found in college campuses, daycare, and school settings, so it is increasingly vital for young people to be aware of the danger. As a resident adviser, I understand the importance of communicating the main pieces of information to students for them to be mindful of the importance of preventive measures. I will get my audience to take the message seriously by telling them about the implications of getting meningitis and describing how simple it is to be protected.
Main body
The first point to address to students is the essence of the disease – the description from the first paragraph. It is also crucial to make them understand that their knowledge of bacterial meningitis symptoms and its ways of transmission are of paramount importance. The bacteria can cause severe implications and be fatal, and it usually takes no more than a day to kill a person. While viral meningitis is rarely life-threatening, the bacterial one needs immediate medical action and is often fatal. Unfortunately, it is difficult to detect the disease since “there is no one classic symptom that gives it [meningitis] away, everyone reacts differently” (Carlotti, 2014, para. 2). However, the most common symptoms “of bacterial meningitis are fever, headache, neck stiffness and altered mental status” (Van de Beek et al., 2016, p. S43). Nevertheless, even in the absence of classic clinical characteristics, precautionary measures such as hygiene and vaccination are to be taken to make sure that there is no reason to worry.
Young people are one of the main targets of bacterial meningitis, and as students usually live on campuses, those tights communities make them extremely vulnerable. Fortunately, bacterial meningitis is not as easily transmitted like the common flu, but it still can be spread via kissing or other throat or respiratory secretions exchange. Breathing the same air with the infected person is not risky, but being immunocompromised or heaving a head trauma may increase exposure to the disease. The most common ways of meningitis transmission are nasal or septum mucus, saliva, enteroviruses, and fecal contamination (Carlotti, 2014). As stated before, if people are healthy, they may be carriers of the bacteria (in their throat or nose) and do not get sick. That fact puts immunocompromised or messy people at high risk since they may not even know that there is a threat around them.
Conclusion
Even if a person is lucky enough to survive bacterial meningitis, the disease still has some serious implications, such as hearing loss, learning disabilities, or brain damage. To prevent getting infected, it is advisable to support a high hygiene level by washing hands and avoiding touching your face and, no matter the symptoms, always stay home if sick as bacterial meningitis manifests itself in different ways. Moreover, since the disease may be shed in the stool, it is particularly required to keep a bathroom clean. Most importantly, students have to remember about keeping up with vaccinations as they are the crucial factor preventing them from getting the bacteria. Students are to make health a priority, and as a resident adviser, I am to promote a healthy way of life. The absence of bad habits such as smoking or alcohol abuse can help to prevent getting bacterial meningitis or any other infection.
References
Carlotti, P. (2014). Meningitis outbreaks causing alarm on college campuses. Web.
Heckenberg, S. G. B., Brouwer, M. C., & van de Beek, D. (2014). Bacterial meningitis. Neurologic Aspects of Systemic Disease, 3, 1361–1375. Web.
Van de Beek, D., Cabellos, C., Dzupova, O., Esposito, S., Klein, M., Kloek, A. T., … Brouwer, M. C. (2016). ESCMID guideline: Diagnosis and treatment of acute bacterial meningitis. Clinical Microbiology and Infection, 22(3), S37–S62. Web.