If left untreated, meningitis can contribute to a mortality rate of 70-100 percent, according to the Handbook of Infectious Diseases.

That was the outcome at Loras College in Dubuque, where a student was found dead in her dorm room on March 2.

“It’s been really tough on the community,” said Lisa Bunders, vice president of enrollment and marketing at Loras.

“We’ve kept in close contact with the students.”

Loras College has been in communication with state health authorities, who helped prevent the spread of the disease by examining and treating those in close contact with the victim. The college itself has also kept a keen eye on the health of the student body.

According to an update from the Expanded Program on Immunization released by the Iowa Department of Public Health, an average of 15 cases of meningitis occur in Iowa per year.

“The state Department of Health has said that there have been five cases so far this year,” said Dr. Pauline Miller, physician at Thielen Student Health Center.

College students are frequently affected by meningitis, but there are ways for students to protect themselves. Miller suggested avoiding sharing drinking cups with others, not smoking and getting vaccinated against the disease.

Preventive measures should always be taken – even if students have gotten the meningitis vaccine, because it isn’t 100 percent effective.

“Even those who’ve had the vaccine can get meningitis because the organism that covers it may not be in the vaccine,” said Dr. Malhar Gore, a physician at Thielen.He compared this problem to the flu outbreak this year, in which students got sick even though they’d received the vaccination.

The vaccine is not required at Iowa State, the University of Iowa, the University of Northern Iowa or Loras College.

“We had 2,900 freshmen vaccinated out of 5,318 total. So 55 percent were vaccinated that we knew of as of Dec. 1, 2007 – including 63 percent of those living in university housing,” said Penni McKinley, program coordinator at Thielen.

McKinley said receiving the vaccine is important because it’s best to protect yourself in every way possible.

Early symptoms of meningitis include high fever, headache and stiff neck, along with nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light, confusion and fatigue.

The disease can be spread by contact with an infected person’s throat secretions, which is why sharing cigarettes and eating utensils puts people at higher risk. Kissing a person infected with meningitis can also spread the disease.

Meningitis is not always deadly. According to the Handbook of Infectious Diseases, the prognosis is good and complications are rare – especially if the disease is recognized early and the patient responds well to treatment.

“Some people recover,” Miller said. “It’s possible to survive, with severe limitations, including deafness.”

In schools where outbreaks have occurred, pregnant women and students with chronic red blood cell disorders should consult a doctor before attending classes, according to a fact sheet distributed by the ISU Wellness Center.

Also, people with cold or flu-like symptoms should cover their mouths and noses with a tissue when sneezing or coughing.