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American Morning
Meningitis Mystery Worries Ohio Residents
Aired June 08, 2001 - 09:16 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DONNA KELLEY, CNN ANCHOR: You're looking at a live picture here of people who are lining up in Ohio today to be vaccinated against a deadly disease. And we understand at this high school they're going to be starting these vaccinations in about 45 minutes. The state is paying for meningitis vaccines for nearly 6,000 people. Two teenagers have died from a meningitis-related illness.
And as CNN's Elizabeth Cohen reports, that has people in the area worried.
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ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In just two days, 2,000 people called this public health hot line in Ohio wanting to know, among other things, did they have meningitis?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Headaches -- severe headache and then sometimes they could -- that could be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, confusion.
COHEN: And where would they get vaccinated? The State Health Department plans on vaccinating nearly 6,000 students, faculty and staff at six area high schools Friday.
The superintendent at this school where two students died of meningitis hope the vaccines will make people less scared of his students.
LOU RAMUNNO, SUPERINTENDENT, WEST BRANCH SCHOOLS: A lot of the teams that are going out and playing other teams are being shunned. They're asked not to come. They're saying if you come, our kids aren't going to play.
COHEN: The vaccination program isn't making everyone happy. Students can get shots only if they attend one of six designated high school.
Sue Neiswonger's daughter doesn't go to one of those six schools but does work in a restaurant in Alliance.
SUE NEISWONGER: Nobody has any idea that the girl that's working right beside her might have been in contact with the girl that died, you know, they have no -- we have no idea, right?
COHEN: But public health officials have tried to explain that only close contact such as kissing or sharing utensils spreads meningitis, not casual contact like working next to someone.
MATT STEFANAK, MAHONING COUNTY HEALTH COMM.: If you ride the same school bus or drink from the same public water fountain, if you go to the same restaurant, you're at no risk for exposure for -- you're not increased risk for exposure meningococcal disease.
COHEN (on camera): Another concern among residents here, the two students who died went to one school, a third student, who's still in the hospital, went to a different school. None of the three have contact with each other, so why did they get sick while others didn't?
DR. PRATIMA RAGHUNATHAN, CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL: That's something we'll never really know and that's one of the mysteries of this kind of outbreak.
COHEN (voice-over): Health authorities say they can't predict if there will be any more cases. But they say, so far, they haven't seen case No. 4 and hope they never will.
Elizabeth Cohen, CNN, Alliance, Ohio.
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LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, the 18-year-old girl that Elizabeth just mentioned, she's being treated for a meningitis-related illness at Akron Children's Hospital.
Dr. Blaise Congeni is the Director of Infectious Disease at that hospital. He joins us this morning from Beloit, Ohio.
Good to see you this morning, Doctor.
Can you -- can you give us an update on the condition of the 18- year-old girl?
DR. BLAISE CONGENI, DIRECTOR OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE, AKRON'S CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL: Well, she's making good progress. She was very ill, very close to death but she's making good progress. She was transferred out of intensive care yesterday. I saw her on rounds this morning. She's actually in pretty good spirits but still in some discomfort and a lot of her laboratory tests are still quite abnormal.
HARRIS: Well, Dr. Congeni, can you give us an idea of what -- of the kind of treatment that she's going to go through while she's there under your care?
CONGENI: Well, I think really the critical parts of the treatment what -- were done early on in the intensive care unit. Not only antibiotics to kill the bacteria but she was so ill she needed medication to support her blood pressure and all those vital functions we really had to do for her.
HARRIS: Do you think you've seen the end of this -- of the spread of this particular bacteria?
CONGENI: Well, I really -- I'm really very optimistic that this will be the end of it for a couple of reasons. There's been a large number of individuals here who have been treated with the antibiotic. The vaccination program is being initiated and probably most important, school is out so that if school and the crowding that takes place in school was playing any role, that will be over.
HARRIS: Yes, the fact or myth when you get a shot for this kind of meningitis do you have to get a shot in the spine or something awful like that or is it just a regular vaccination kind of shot?
CONGENI: No, this vaccine is administered just as any other vaccine might be administered intramuscularly.
HARRIS: What's the difference between this or is there between what happens to your body with a bacterial meningitis versus a viral one?
CONGENI: Well, the bacterial meningitis's tend to be associated with a much higher mortality and with bacterial meningitis the possibility of after affects is much greater and bacterial meningitis needs to be treated with antibiotics. Viral meningitis -- viruses are, by and large, not killed with antibiotics or anti -- other medications and consequently, supportive care is what's used.
HARRIS: Is it true that maybe 10 percent of people actually carry this bacteria around in their bodies and they just don't have any reaction to it?
CONGENI: That's absolutely true. Ten percent carry it in their nose. It only becomes a problem when this bacteria meningococcus enters the bloodstream.
HARRIS: Why is it that it only affects certain people?
CONGENI: I'm sorry?
HARRIS: Do you -- why -- have you been able to figure out exactly why it doesn't affect everyone?
CONGENI: No, I -- you know that's been something we've appreciated for some time. We don't understand why 5 to 10 percent carry it. They go on and develop immunity and that's the end of it and just rarely will someone have the bacteria enter their bloodstream.
HARRIS: Dr. Blaise Congeni, thank you very much for your time this morning and good luck. We sure do wish that girl well.
CONGENI: Thank you.
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