The infection is transmitted through exposure to respiratory secretions specifically from the saliva

A case of contagious, bacterial meningitis that killed 33-year-old Brett Shaad of West Hollywood does not appear to be linked to a wider outbreak, says Dr. Jonathan Fielding, director of public health for Los Angeles County.
Our investigation is ongoing, we continue to carefully monitor the situation and we are prepared to recommend routine immunization if there is any indication of a local outbreak, Fielding told reporters Wednesday.
Of those cases, there were four deaths including Shaad but public health officials have found no links among them. A spokesman said the county is still conducting tests to determine whether the cases involved the same strain of bacteria.
It s a bacterial form of meningitis, which is an infection that inflames the lining surrounding the brain and the spinal cord. It s a serious medical condition that can cause brain damage, hearing loss and death.
The infection is transmitted through exposure to respiratory secretions specifically from the saliva or nose mucus of an infected person. You could catch it if a sick person sneezes directly on you, if you re exposed to their infected saliva through a kiss, or if you share eating utensils or drinks.
Otherwise, the risk is generally low, unless you are in close quarters or really intimately in contact with the person, Yang says. He adds that that even doctors who examine infected patients aren t considered to be at risk unless there s direct exposure to the patient s saliva or mucus.
Several fatal cases of the infection exotic car rentals in michigan among gay men in New York and the Shaad case in Los Angeles which reportedly occurred after Shaad attended a large gathering of gay men in Palm Springs caused some to worry that homosexuals are at greater risk of contracting meningococcal meningitis. They are not.
Yang says it may be a good idea to do so if you live in or work under crowded conditions; if you have a compromised immune system; or if you plan to travel in those regions of sub-Saharan Africa where the infection is common.