Bacterial meningitis case shakes up Vanderbilt campus

By COLBY SLEDGE Staff Writer - THE TENNESSEAN

Sung In Kim's weekend of parties on Vanderbilt's Greek Row inevitably included seeing plenty of friends in some pretty close spaces.

By Sunday morning, the senior neurosciences major was trying to take it easy as she dealt with a fever and muscle aches. She thought she had the flu. And by Monday, Kim was in an intensive care unit with bacterial meningitis, while 40 other Vanderbilt students were on powerful antibiotics in hopes of preventing spread of the potentially life-threatening disease.

"I was just moaning in pain (Sunday) night, and my roommates heard me and called the ambulance fast," said Kim, 21, who is expected to move out of intensive care today at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Bacterial meningitis is spread through close contact such as kissing or sharing food or drink with an infected person. The disease, also known as meningococcal meningitis, results from bacteria that can stay in the back of a person's throat for weeks.

In rare cases, the bacteria get into a person's bloodstream and targets the meninges ? membranes around the brain and spinal cord.

If serious enough, infection can result in mental retardation, loss of limbs or even death.

"This is a disease that every infectious-disease doctor respects hugely," said Dr. William Schaffner, chairman of the medical center's Department of Preventative Medicine.

Disease isn't new to area

Although rare, bacterial meningitis cases have been well documented at Middle Tennessee universities. Dr. Louise Hanson, director of Vanderbilt's Student Health Center, said the school has seen two other cases of the disease in the past 10 years.

Both of those victims made full recoveries, Hanson said.

In 2000, then-Lipscomb University freshman basketball player Kaia Jergenson suffered a severe case of bacterial meningitis, losing parts of both legs in order to stop the spread of the infection.

The state health department estimates only one to three of every 100,000 Americans is diagnosed with bacterial meningitis each year, with an average of 70 Tennesseans affected annually.

College students are particularly susceptible to the disease, thanks to busy schedules and close quarters.

"Whether in dorm rooms or on athletic teams or in extracurricular activities, they're very, very close to each other," Schaffner said. "That facilitates transmission of this bug."

Lack of sleep can result in a lowered immune system, and students' busy lives naturally put them in contact with lots of people ? although attending class or an event with an infected person isn't enough to transmit the disease.

Campuswide e-mail sent

Vanderbilt officials sent out a universitywide e-mail Monday asking students who might have had close contact with Kim in the past week to go to the Student Health Center to receive Cipro ? a strong antibiotic used by legislators after the 2001 anthrax scares in Washington ? free of charge.

By 3 p.m. Monday, about 40 students had come to the health center for treatment, Hanson said.

"Everyone has been just very calm and collected about it," Hanson said.

Vanderbilt freshman Victor Clarke was at the health center Monday evening and said he overheard several people asking about medication after coming in contact with Kim.

"I'm kind of surprised that it happened," Clarke said. "I'm hoping it's contained ? it's serious stuff."

Students also can purchase a vaccine at the center for about $80, Hanson said.

Although state law requires incoming university students to have a current meningococcal vaccine, students can opt out.

Kim, in fact, had already taken the vaccine, which she said primarily protects her from viral meningitis. Current vaccines protect recipients from four of five strains of the disease.

Although it's not certain to prevent meningitis, Schaffner defended the vaccine, saying doctors have seen recent declines in meningitis cases across the country.

"The vaccine is about the price of running shoes," Schaffner said. "It's an easy choice for me."