Meningitis

Cases of meningococcal disease in Florida are exploding and seven men have already died.

Two company executives are each charged with 25 counts of murder and other offenses under federal racketeering laws.

Vaccinations are recommended for all gay, bisexual, and “other men who have sex with men,” as well as everyone who is HIV positive.

The vaccine is widely available and very effective in preventing this disease from spreading.

NEW YORK — New York City’s Health Department says it’s investigating three cases of meningitis that have developed in HIV-positive gay men over the last two weeks. The department says Friday it’s recommending meningitis vaccinations for all men who regularly have intimate contact with other men. It says men with HIV are at a greater risk of acquiring meningitis.

WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — In the heart of this close-knit gay community, Luke Martel reflects the feelings of many when it comes to a strain of meningitis that has killed three gay men this year in Los Angeles County: He’s concerned but not overly so.

LOS ANGELES — Three of eight people who contracted bacterial meningitis this year have died, and all three had sex with other men, Los Angeles County health officials said Thursday.

Earlier this year, outbreaks of bacterial meningitis cropped up among gay and bisexual men in New York and Los Angeles. Fear gripped gay communities in cities across the country as many men wondered, according to the New York Times, “whether this is AIDS, circa 1981, all over again.” There was ample reason to worry: bacterial meningitis – the swelling of the lining around the brain and the spinal cord – is a lethal disease. The symptoms come on fast but appear very ordinary; in fact, they so closely resemble the flu that many victims don’t bother to see a doctor. This can have deadly consequences…

NEW YORK — New York City officials have issued a warning given ahead of the upcoming gay pride weekend, advising visitors to consult their physicians about receiving a meningitis vaccination.

LOS ANGELES — The brother of Brett Shaad, the 33-year-old West Hollywood man who died Saturday after contracting a deadly strain of bacterial meningitis, is lashing out over media coverage of his brother’s death.