An outbreak of meningococcal disease in Florida has caused at least 26 cases of serious illness, an official with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Wednesday. Sam Crowe, a CDC epidemiologist, said seven of the cases have been fatal.
The outbreak mainly affects men who have sex with men; At least 24 cases and six deaths have been in gay and bisexual men, the agency said in a press release. About half of cases occur in Hispanic men.
New cases are still being reported. “The outbreak is very much going on,” Dr. Crowe said.
It is caused by the bacteria Neisseria meningitidis, which is usually spread by close or prolonged contact, through activities such as kissing. It can manifest as meningitis – an inflammation of the membranes around the brain and spinal cord – or sepsis, an infection of the blood. Jill Roberts, a molecular epidemiologist at the University of South Florida, said the disease is still rare but serious and can cause death “overnight”.
“The number of cases is not very high,” she added. “However, any case of meningitis is really considered something that we are concerned about.”
When detected early, the disease can be treated with antibiotics. It can also be prevented with a vaccine, and health officials are encouraging those at risk, especially men who have sex with men and live in Florida, to get vaccinated.
“We want to make sure gay and bisexual people are aware of the deadly outbreak in Florida and how easy it is to protect themselves – vaccination in particular,” said Dr.
Immunization is also often recommended for college students and those with HIV or compromised immune systems.
Although the current outbreak affects mainly men who have sex with men, the disease can affect anyone who has been in close contact with an infected person.
“Anyone can get the disease, regardless of sexual orientation, age, race,” Dr. Crowe said.
Florida first notified the CDC of the spike in meningococcal disease in late January, Dr. Crowe said. The state typically sees between 20 and 25 cases annually; So far this year, 44 cases have been reported in Florida, he said. (Not all of those cases are related to the current outbreak; a small subset of unrelated cases occurred in college students in February and March, Dr. Crowe said, and there are other exceptional cases.)
Many recent cases of monkeypox have also been identified in men who have sex with men, but the disease can affect anyone, regardless of sexual orientation. It is paramount not to stigmatize men who have sex with men, experts say.
“It is in everyone’s best interest to make sure that people feel very comfortable going forward and that they are getting the care they need,” Dr. Roberts said.
Symptoms of meningococcal disease include fever, headache, stiff neck, and rash. Scientists say people who develop these symptoms should seek medical attention immediately.
