A case of the disease that causes meningitis has been reported in Chicago among a man who sex with men (MSM), the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) said May 20.
The case of meningococcal disease is similar to those reported among gay and bisexual men in Los Angeles and New York this year, said Brian Richardson, CDPH spokesperson.
"This is the only case we have seen reported in Chicago this year," Richardson noted.
Richardson said that the man, whose case was reported to CDPH May 12, has fully recovered.
CDPH identified the man's close contacts to determine who will need preventative antibiotics, said Richardson.
"We have no reason to believe that there is an outbreak," he stressed. " Currently, we do not believe that there is an increased risk among MSM in Chicago. That said, we're continuing to follow this closely."
Last year, Chicago saw seven cases of the disease. None of them were among MSMs. The May 12 case marks the first this year.
U.S. public health officials have been on alert since last September when New York City saw four cases of meningococcal disease among MSMs. In April, Brett Shaad, a gay man in Los Angeles, died after contracting the disease. Cases on both coasts have sparked fears of an outbreak among gay and bisexual men across the country.
But Richardson said that Chicago has not identified any other cases, and that there is no evidence of increased risk.
The diseases has hit gay Chicagoans in the past. In 2003, the city saw an outbreak among gay and bisexual men, and three men died. More than 14,000 were vaccinated during that time.
In 2008, teenagers on the city's West Side also began contracting the disease, and vaccinations were done there, said Richardson.
Howard Brown Health Center has vaccinations on hand, the organization said in a recent statement. That vaccination is $150 for uninsured patients. The agency has been informed of the reported case, said Richardson.
But health officials say because there is no increased risk among MSM currently, CDHP is sticking to its usual suggestion that youth ages 11-18 receive the vaccination.
"We're not changing the vaccination recommendations," Richardson said.
Information on meningococcal meningitis from CDPH:
When someone has meningococcal meningitis, the protective membranes covering their brain and spinal cord become infected and swell. The symptoms include sudden onset of fever, headache, and stiff neck. It is often accompanied by other symptoms, such as
-Nausea
-Vomiting
-Photophobia (increased sensitivity to light)
-Altered mental status (confusion)
The symptoms of meningococcal meningitis can appear quickly or over several days.
Another common outcome of meningococcal infection is bloodstream infection, either septicemia or bacteremia. The more serious of the two is septicemia. When someone has meningococcal septicemia, the bacteria enter the bloodstream and multiply, damaging the walls of the blood vessels and causing bleeding into the skin and organs.
Symptoms may include:
-Fatigue
-Vomiting
-Cold hands and feet
-Cold chills
-Severe aches or pain in the muscles, joints, chest or abdomen (belly)
-Rapid breathing
-Diarrhea
In the later stages, a dark purple rash