The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is alerting health-care providers that a strain of the meningococcal disease, an acute, severe illness caused by the bacterium neisseria meningitidis, has begun spreading across the country.
Meningococcal disease can lead to death, or a severe infection known as meningitis, forming in the lining of the brain, spinal cord and bloodstream, according to the CDC.
Of the six neisseria meningitidis serogroups — A, B, C, W, X and Y — the four serogroups B, C, W and Y circulate in the United States, with vaccines available in the United States against serogroups A, C, W and Y, the CDC said.
According to the CDC, meningitis is the most common form of invasive meningococcal disease and is found in about 50% of cases in the United States.
Symptoms are similar to those seen in other forms of bacterial meningitis, and often include fever, headache and stiff neck, as well as nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light and altered mental status, according to the CDC.
The CDC reported that up to 15% of people who develop this bacterial disease die, even after treatment. While others pass within 24 hours and around 20% of people who survive the infection live with permanent side effects.
However, a new vaccine recommended recently by a federal advisory panel would provide broader protection against the bacteria for adults and teens with fewer doses.