If you or someone you know develops a combination of severe headache, stiff neck and photophobia, consult a physician immediately. A suspected diagnosis of meningitis can be confirmed by exam of cerebral spinal fluid, the liquid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. As most cases are short and uneventful, persons who have had contact with a case do not require treatment and in most cases of viral meningitis there is full recovery. We do not have antiviral medications for most viruses, so patients are given supportive, symptomatic care. The symptoms are similar to viral meningitis, with the addition of a skin rash in some cases.
Treatment requires hospitalization and intravenous antibiotics.
Because of the rapid progress and possibly grave consequences, a person who has had intimate contact with someone diagnosed with bacterial meningitis requires preventative therapy. Avoid close contact with upper respiratory tract infections and cigarette smoke inhalation. This probably represents transmission from a fellow student who is a carrier of this organism. Everyone should follow basic public health measures such as covering one s mouth when coughing or sneezing and washing one s hands after contact with oral and nasal secretions. The American College Health Association recommends that all college students under the age of 30 consider getting vaccinated against meningococcal disease.