Meningitis Outbreak Accelerates (read the "VILLAGE VOICE" article)
GET YOUR SHOTS TODAY--REALLY!
It is a gruesome and painful illness. The disease can race from headache and fever to rampant rash and then to death within hours. Health officials are afraid that it could claim many more lives—both in the gay community as well as among straight people. '
But thus far, the disease, for reasons the health department can’t explain, has remained solely in the gay and bisexual community. “We don’t actually know why it’s only occurring in men who have sex with men,” says Dr. Jay Varma, deputy commissioner for disease control at the health department. “If you look at the subset that is this population, it is occurring at a rate 20 times higher than the overall population and 40 times higher than men who aren’t gay or bisexual. It’s frightening. We’re fearful that if we don’t stop it, it’s going to get worse.”
On March 6, the health department issued the latest in a series of dire alerts, warning the public and healthcare professionals of the danger. Doctors had not promptly reported some of the recent fatal infections to the department; some waited days until a lab had made a positive diagnosis. “That can make a difference in treatment and containment,” says Varma.
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The outbreak of meningitis among gay men has sickened four people already this year, increasing the number of cases to 17 since 2012, according to city health officials. Seven fatalities have been reported in the city since 2010...
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