Bacteria responsible for rare brain disease discovered in Iowa

While it’s not quite the same as the brain-eating amoeba headline we shared back in July of this year, it’s definitely not something to be taken lightly for folks here in Iowa.

According to Monks Register“State public health officials say ‘multiple cases’ of meningococcal disease have been detected in Iowa in recent weeks.”

The bacteria that cause the disease most often lead to meningitis – an infection and inflammation of the fluid and membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord – both of which can be fatal.

Speak Iowa Department of Public Health“Meningococcal disease is a disease caused by bacteria Neisseria meningitidis which causes inflammation of the tissues around the brain and spinal cord (the meninges) resulting in meningitis. N.meningitidis can also infect the blood causing meningococcemia, or the lungs causing pneumonia.”

The site goes on to say that between 2012 and 2021, Iowa had only 22 total cases, with only one occurring in 2020 and 2021. The highest single-year case during this time period occurred in 2015. when five people fell ill.

There are three clear symptoms for someone who may have the disease. Fever, headache and stiff neck, most of which resemble flu symptoms. Symptoms most often develop three to four days after exposure.

The bacteria that causes the disease is “not as contagious as a cold or the flu, but it can be spread by simply breathing the same air an infected person has been in. The disease is usually spread between people through air. exchange of saliva and other respiratory secretions through activities such as kissing, coughing, and chewing toys.”

IDPH says the best way to avoid getting the disease is to stay up to date on vaccinations that prevent the disease. Treatment of the disease often involves hospitalization and intravenous administration of antibiotics.