The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) has announced a statewide outbreak of Meningococcal disease, with recorded infection numbers triple the normal level.
Meningococcal disease is caused by the bacteria “Neisseria meningitidis type Y” and can result in infections of the brain lining, spinal cord, and bloodstream. The disease can be severe and even result in death. Twenty-seven cases of the “rare but serious” meningococcal disease have been reported in eastern, central, and southwest Virginia since June 2022, the VDH said in an Aug. 30 blog post.
