KUSA - April 24th is World Meningitis Day.
Meningitis is inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. If left untreated, it can be deadly.
Lisa Krizman’s daughter Sierra became ill and rapidly declined, ultimately succumbing to bacterial meningitis.
Bacterial meningitis is the most contagious and most serious type of meningitis, causing 170,000 deaths each year globally. But there is a vaccine which can prevent the most severe types of bacterial meningitis.
Through Sierra’s Race, Lisa and her family have dedicated themselves to increasing awareness about meningitis, raising money to provide vaccines for free to the public and keeping Sierra’s legacy alive.
What is meningitis?
Meningitis can occur from bacteria, viruses (not as severe), fungus, amoebas, parasites and non-infectious causes.
Bacterial meningitis is highly contagious and is spread most often from person to person, especially in settings where people live together in close quarters (e.g. college campuses, army barracks).
Viral meningitis can also be spread from person to person but does not usually cause meningitis.
How is it diagnosed?
Meningitis needs to be diagnosed rapidly through bloodwork and a spinal tap.
This is a procedure done by a trained healthcare provider to get cerebrospinal fluid which can be tested for infection.
Who should get the vaccine?
Different vaccines are available for children and adults to protect against the three most common causes of bacterial meningitis: meningococcal disease, pneumococcal meningitis and Haemophilus Influenza type B.
For more information about meningitis, click here: https://www.cdc.gov/meningitis/index.html.
Sierra’s Race has raised funds for more than 6,200 people to get vaccinated. If you would like to participate or learn more about Sierra, you can go to http://sierrasraceagainstmeningitis.com/.
Follow 9NEWS Medical Expert Dr. Comilla Sasson on Facebook and Twitter. Have a medical question or health topic idea? Email Dr. Comilla at comilla.sasson@9news.com