Charlottesville,
VA—A University of Virginia
student is recovering after contracting bacterial meningitis, a
potentially-fatal disease. Now, university leaders and students are taking
precautions.
Daniel
Paylor received the bacterial meningitis vaccine just weeks ago.
"I
thought, ‘I don't want to take the time to go down and get the vaccination,'"
Daniel recalls. "Then I realized, wow it's probably a very good thing I did
because people really get it."
One
of Daniel's fellow students did get it: a female student was rushed to the emergency
room last week, and diagnosed with bacterial meningitis.
Bacterial
meningitis can be deadly, and even if you've been vaccinated, like 95 percent
of UVA students, you may still get it.
Dr. James Turner, the Executive Director of UVA's Department
of Student Health explains why the vaccine may
not protect you against contracting bacterial meningitis:
"It
protects against four of the five major strains. The fifth strain is called the
b strain and in fact, this particular student is infected with the b strain."
Doctors
at the health center sent an email to every undergraduate student, informing them of the situation, and also
reminding students of a girl who did here back in 2006 of bacterial meningitis.
Jennifer
Wells was a fourth-year UVA student when she contracted bacterial meningitis.
She passed away due to the sickness. Her family honors her memory with an annual
Moonlight Walk and Run, the proceeds of which go to the National Meningitis
Association.
UVA
doctors are hoping the young woman who is currently suffering from bacterial
meningitis will fully recover. 51 girls who were at a sorority function with
her days before she became ill have been given antibiotics. They say they are
"very hopeful" that there will be no other cases.
Stay
with 8News for updates.
Copyright 2013 by Young
Broadcasting of Richmond
