Marist student dies from bacterial meningitis

Sarah Brown Life Editor

On the evening of Wednesday, Nov. 16, Marist College student Caitlin Boyle ’07 died of complications from meningococcal (bacterial) meningitis. Every student admitted to Marist College is required to be immunized against meningitis prior to coming to the College. However, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), meningococcal vaccines cannot prevent all types of the disease.

Earlier in the day, Director of Vassar Health Services Irena Balawajder sent out an all-campus e-mail via Dean of Students D.B. Brown informing students of the situation.

Marist responded to the death by holding information sessions for the campus community involving the Dutchess County Health Department and individuals from the College’s Health Services.

They also offered an antibiotic for those who felt that they may have been in contact with someone diagnosed with meningitis.

The CDC defines meningitis as an infection of the fluid of a person's spinal cord and the fluid that surrounds the brain.

Meningitis is usually caused by a viral or bacterial infection, and for this reason a key to diagnosis is to determine whether the particular case has been caused by a virus or bacterium. Viral meningitis is generally less severe, whereas bacterial meningitis can prove fatal, as it did in the case of Boyle.
According to Dutchess County Health Commissioner Dr. Michael Caldwell, it is possible to carry the bacteria without showing symptoms, and then spread meningitis to others who are more susceptible to its effects. At that point, the disease can become fatal.

Meningitis can be spread through the exchange of saliva or even from being around an infected person’s coughing in an enclosed space.

Vassar highly recommends that students get immunized. However, the vaccine that is available today is only effective against five of the strains of the microbe, and there are other strains that are not protected against. Currently, there is no vaccine that protects against all forms of meningitis.

“It’s a concern in any environment where people are living closely and sharing things as college students do,” said Baldwin staff nurse Sue Stuebner. “It really behooves people to be careful even though they’ve had the meningitis shot.”