Health providers warn against meningitis

(Oklahoma City-AP) -- Health care providers say college students should get vaccinated for meningitis. <br><br>College students and others who live together in close quarters are at risk for the disease.

Tuesday, August 13th 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

(Oklahoma City-AP) -- Health care providers say college students should get vaccinated for meningitis.

College students and others who live together in close quarters are at risk for the disease.

Janice Sheehan with the Tulsa City-County Health Department says parents should encourage their children to get vaccinated.

Meningitis is spread through contact with fluids much like the cold or flu viruses.

Officials say there are about two-thousand-600 cases of the disease every year in the United States. Oklahoma averages about 40 cases a year.

Symptoms include vomiting, high fever, headache, stiffness in joints and drowsiness. Severe cases could cause deafness, blindness, mental retardation and amputation.