Neisseria Meningitis Strikes Great Plains Prison-One Dead

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Oklahoma- The Oklahoma Department of Corrections canceled visitation today due to a confirmed case of Neisseria Meningitis. However, visits did take place on Saturday, and you may have been exposed.

ODOC issued the following statement :

"Visitation at Great Plains Correctional Center in Hinton has been cancelled for this weekend and next weekend after an inmate contracted neisseria meningitis. Currently, there is only one confirmed case and one suspected case. Antibiotics were administered to any inmates who were in close contact, if they accepted it, and that unit was locked down. We are working with the Oklahoma State Department of Health and continue to monitor the situation closely to ensure the safety of staff and all those incarcerated."

The gravity of the situation cannot be overstated: individuals infected with this may face possible death, strokes, and neurological impairments. It is very contagious and frequently spreads in confined settings such as correctional facilities and universities. Timely identification, isolation, and administration of suitable antibiotics are key in combating its spread and mitigating its impact.

The following are the definitions of an outbreak and control measures from the CDC public website.

"Outbreak definition

A meningococcal disease outbreak occurs when multiple cases of the same serogroup (type) happen in a population over a short time period. Outbreaks can occur in communities, schools, colleges, prisons, and other populations. Depending on the population size and specific circumstances, health officials may declare an outbreak after just two cases.

Outbreak control measures

State and local health departments lead outbreak investigations and implement control measures to reduce spread of the disease. They often work closely with CDC, which has guidance [4 MB, 16 pages] to assist with this. In the setting of an outbreak, recommendations often include:

• Vaccinating people identified as being at increased risk
• Making sure all close contacts of a patient receive antibiotics to prevent them from getting the disease (prophylaxis)

CDC supports state and local health departments in identifying a response that best protects their residents’ health. Contact the state or local health department, or affected institution, for information about a specific outbreak and their specific recommendations."

Different vaccines are available, such as conjugate vaccines or polysaccharide vaccines. None of the vaccines are mRNA.

Conjugate vaccines use a protein from the bacteria and a different molecule to boost the immune response, and polysaccharide vaccines use the bacteria's coating to stimulate immunity. Neither vaccine is an mRNA vaccine.

ODOC has stated on its Facebook page, "We aren’t covering anything up. We are working with OSDH and following our policies to ensure everyone’s safety."

Reports from inmates and a facility staff member there is one inmate who has died and another infected.

According to the CDC--"People spread meningococcal bacteria to other people by sharing respiratory and throat secretions (saliva or spit)."

Anyone exposed should seek the advice of a Dr. if they believe they have been exposed. If you have a loved one in a facility, you can find information in the sources listed below. If you need to contact DOC, they are responsive on their Facebook page; you can contact community outreach or the facility directly.

Sources:

Vaccine Information for MenB

CDC Outbreak-Control Measures and Information about Meningitis B