Eye on Health: Preventable Diseases - KXNet - Bismarck/Minot/Williston/Dickinson

Eye on Health: Preventable Diseases

Meningitis and whooping cough can be a very serious or deadly diseases.
Both are all too common --- and preventable.
Carla Burbidge tells us more in this week's Eye on Health.

Middle school students are required to have a meningitis vaccination, and so too are college students living in on-campus housing.  
Meningitis is a disease that affects the lining of the brain, it can spread quickly and be deadly.  
And according to the Infectious control physician at Trinity Health, people can carry this disease around, and never get it -but they can spread it to others.
(Dr. Casmiar Nwaigwe, Infectious Diseases) "People cough and if they are close to others, they can spread it."
A vaccination prevents meningitis, so coming down with meningitis is uncommon. hat creates another problems it can take medical professionals awhile to recognize meningitis in a patient.   
(Dr. Casmiar Nwaigwe, Infectious Diseases) "One death is to many since you can get a vaccination."
And speaking of infectious diseases, a whooping cough epidemic has surfaced in other parts of the country this year, the worst epidemic since the vaccine was invented.   
Babies too young to be vaccinated are at the highest risk.
No cases in North Dakota yet, but
(Dr. Casmiar Nwaigwe, Infectious Diseases) "People move around so much, we need to be aware it could be here."
Anyone over 9 months should be vaccinated.  
Especially adults and parents who are often with young children.
Meningitis and whooping cough, rare but often deadly diseases, that can be prevented.  
For Eye on Health I'm Carla Burbidge.