Rant about New Orleans :(

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I dont usually rant on here about things but today I am…I also want to know about a certain medical condition a family member of mine encountered yesterday.

My cousin is retiring in December of this year from the Navy. He has stationed in New Orleans for about 4 years now. When Katrina hit the gulf, he was evacuated to Dallas, where he remained for 6 months. Recently, the Navy told my cousin he had to report back to New Orleans for duty. As you know some of the city has been cleaned up but the risk of getting sick because of bacteria/mold is still high.

Well I recieved a call from my cousins wife that he has Spinal Menigitis. She didnt get into much details but he is in critical condition and we all are very concerned. I really dont know much of this and was wondering if anyone has any knowledge of what this is?

I am also pretty upset that the city is allowing people to come back to the area. That stupid mayor Ray Nagin can DIAF. That stupid nukka and his chocolate city bullshit can go fuck himself. His scummy ass city got my cousin extremly ill and not to forget anybody else who recently got sick due to the nasty conditions.

Again, if anyone can fill me on this it would be awesome

rant//

Mike

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spinal meningitis

This is the lay term for meningitis caused by the “meningococcus,” Neiserria meningitidis.

Actually, all politics are local and all meningitis is “spinal,” since the infectious agent circulates freely through the medium of the spinal fluid between the brain and spinal cord.

Meningococcal meningitis is highly contagious by the respiratory route (you get it by breathing air that contains the germs, which are freely shed from the mucous membranes). It is particularly easy to transmit if conditions are crowded, for example in army barracks or college dormitories. Preventative antibiotics are routinely given to all contacts of the identified patient to prevent their colonization with the germ. In case you have not guessed by now, yes, smoking is a risk factor for catching the disease.

Meningococcal disease is especially frightening to doctors, because no matter how ardently we search for it, every once in a while we will miss a case, with fatal results. This is because the disease can start so insidiously, mimicing a trivial viral illness, with few if any definite symptoms. Luckily, the disease is rare, and if contracted and diagnosed in time, 100% curable in just a few days with no lasting effects from the meningitis (unlike most other forms of meningitis, where some handicap is often the result of infection).

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SYMPTOMS:

Headache
Extreme irritability
Fever
Vomiting
Lethargy
Neck pain
Photophobia (pain resulting from looking at bright lights)

CAUSE:

Bacterial Meningitis can be caused by several different species of bacteria.
The most common species are specific to the age of the child:

The first two months of life – Group B Streptococcus, gram-negative enteric bacilli, and Listeria monocytogenes

Children two months-12 years of age – S. pneumoniae, N. meningitidis, or H. influenzae type b

RISK FACTORS:

Newborn infants under one month old; individuals with intracranial surgically implanted devices; and those with spina bifida and similar diseases are at greater risk for meningitis.
People with certain immune system diseases, including AIDS, are also at increased risk for meningitis.

HOW THE DIAGNOSIS IS MADE:

Diagnosis is usually made by taking samples of spinal fluid obtained by a lumbar puncture, or “spinal tap.”
All pediatricians, and most physicians, in the United States are trained in, and comfortable with, this procedure. When done by an experienced doctor, it is safe and has a minimal risk of complications.

TRATMENT:

Therapy for meningitis requires intravenous antibiotics for a period of ten days to four weeks.
Because of the severity of the condition, this treatment is usually given in a hospital. Depending upon the cause of the infection, oral antibiotic treatment for family members and household contacts may also be needed to prevent them from developing the infection.

COMPLICATIONS:

Untreated, meningitis can result in permanent disability and death.
If treated appropriately, most children with meningitis will do very well. However, there are significant risks for long-term problems, including deafness and developmental delay. These risks vary with the age of an individual patient, and the organism responsible for the infection.
Because of these risks, children with a history of meningitis should be followed closely by their doctors so that problems can be identified early and appropriate interventions can be started

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trouble with those symptoms is that they can all be caused from a night of extremely heavy drinking out in the cold. :stuck_out_tongue:

Seriously, that disease is hardcore. Good luck to your cousin, and death to Nagin. :tup:

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sorry to hear that bud, thats a crappy story

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We have no idea of what specific bacterial species caused the infection. But either way, it’s got zilch to do with being in New Orleans.

Rich