Stop meningitis: One prick does the trick

The North-West University (NWU) Potchefstroom campus is offering students and staff meningitis shots.

First-year students who opted for vaccinations received theirs during the registration and orientation period (R&O) and those who missed the opportunity as well as senior students can still visit the health centre in E16.

In 2022 two students in campus residences tested positive for the bacterial infection and fully recovered thanks to the NWU’s protocols.

Dr Emile Kotzé, the campus clinic manager, was happy to share how the NWU’s procedures ensured that no other student was infected.

Once a positive case is identified, it is of utmost importance that the university follows the correct procedures to ensure the safety of its students. Kotzé said that the first step is to immediately trace all close contacts.

“These close contacts, especially those in residences, will then assemble and we will distribute an antibiotic which helps prevent transmission.” Should another infection arise, the university will have no other choice but to close campus. “Closing campus will allow us to isolate the disease and ensure that we are able to contain it,” he said.

A student from one of the residences where a meningitis case was identified, said that it was frightening as they did not know what to expect and whether their friend would survive. “We were concerned for their health, and ours of course, however the NWU staff reassured us that the necessary preventative measures have been taken.” They believe that the NWU’s swift actions ensured everyone’s safety. They requested to remain anonymous. 

Kotzé said that 2022 was the first time in a number of years that there was a meningitis case on campus. “This can be attributed to the fact that the NWU did not have an active vaccination campaign against meningitis in 2021, as there were no students on campus because of the pandemic,” he said. He explained that the 2022 meningitis campaign was also not very popular amongst students due to vaccine hesitancy.

He reiterated that it is important for students to get vaccinated as they have more physical contact with one another. “Just remember, if you are vaccinated, you are protected against meningitis and your chances of infection is reduced by 99%,” he said.  

If more people are vaccinated, we will achieve herd immunity within the student community. In turn, this decreases the number of people who will become sick from the bacteria. This leads to a greater number of people who are protected against the disease, even those who are unvaccinated.

According to Kotzé, 15-25% of the population carry meningitis bacteria in their nose but do not show any symptoms. The nature of student life often consists of living and socialising in settings where close contact cannot be avoided.

“We do not know why certain people get sick from this bacteria and others do not and there is no way to predict who will get ill.” It is due to this reality that vaccination against the disease is extremely important. Other forms of prevention include methods similar to the Covid-19 pandemic such as washing hands regularly and maintaining a social distance.

Students can also get their vaccinations at a pharmacy, medical doctor or a medical centre. – By Calvin van Wyk, Charissa Swanepoel, Ruben Jooste, Ruhan Friedrichs

What is meningitis?

Micro-organisms such as viruses, bacteria and fungi can cause meningitis. The most common type of meningitis, amongst students at the North-West University’s Potchefstroom campus, is bacterial meningitis and it is also considered the deadliest. Nico Scheepers, a lecturer who specialises in infectious diseases at the North-West University (NWU) said: “Meningitis causes inflammation in the fluid and membranes (meninges) which surrounds your spinal cord and brain.” Bacterial meningitis is an extremely dangerous illness and it can be fatal in as little as 12 hours.

Dr Emile Kotzé, the manager of the health centre on the NWU’s Potchefstroom campus, said that meningitis can be considered as an infection and highlighted that when the bacteria enter your bloodstream it can cause infection in the bloodstream known as sepsis. This type of bloodstream infection spreads faster and is even more dangerous. Both diseases can be placed under the umbrella term ‘meningococcal disease’: i.e., meningococcal meningitis and meningococcal septicemia.

It is often hard to identify a list of definite symptoms because symptoms vary and are quite similar to those of common flu. According to Kotzé, medical practitioners are especially cautious when individuals have a fever, headache and a stiff neck. “When it comes to the bacterial meningitis type, death may occur before the person even gets a stiff neck,” he said.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), bacterial meningitis is often accompanied by sepsis and therefore the signs and symptoms cover both conditions. This is also applicable to most cases on the Potchefstroom campus.

Bacterial meningitis can be found in all countries across the world, but it is more prevalent in countries falling within the meningitis belt of Sub-Saharan Africa. South Africa does not fall within this belt, however, as an African country meningitis is much more common here than in other countries.

Meningitis is endemic in South Africa, which means that it is somewhat contained and it does not put too much pressure on the healthcare systems. According to a research report in the Southern African Journal of Infectious Diseases, published in 2017, a reliable rule of thumb is that case numbers usually increase between May and October.

According to this study, due to the high mortality rate of meningococcal disease in South Africa, it is recommended that clinicians should encourage students attending university to get vaccinated. Meningococcal disease is known to be prevalent amongst students. This is because meningitis is more likely to spread among people who are in close proximity to one another. Meningitis is transmitted through saliva and spit particles. – By Ruben Jooste, Ruhan Friedrichs