Cases of meningitis have been on the rise on college campuses in recent years. An estimated 100 to 125 cases of meningoccal meningitis, a potentially fatal bacterial infection that causes inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord, occur annually on college campus. The infection can lead to permanent disabilities, such as hearing loss and brain damage. Five to 15 students die each year as a result. Symptoms are similar to those of the flu, including fever, severe headache, stiff neck, rash, nausea, vomiting and lethargy. Meningitis is spread by direct contact with infected individuals such as sharing a glass or cigarette or kissing. Also, the infection is spread through the air via droplets of respiratory secretions (for example, coughing or sneezing). The reasons are not yet fully understood, but studies from previous college outbreaks suggest that college students are more susceptible because they live and work in close proximity to each other in dormitories. In fact, approximately 10 percent of the outbreaks reported between July 1994 and July 1997 occurred on college campuses. Also, behavioral and social aspects of college life appear to be risk factors. Smoking, exposure to second-hand smoke, excessive alcohol consumption and going to bars all increase the chance of contracting meningitis from an infected individual. There are five strains of the infection (serogroups A, C, B, Y and W-135). Strains A, C, Y and W-135 cause nearly 70 percent of the cases on college campuses. Each of these strains is vaccine-preventable. The vaccine causes mild and infrequent side effects, consisting primarily of redness and swelling at the injection site and lasting up to two days. You are protected for at least three to five years. College students can reduce their risk of contracting meningitis by eating a balanced diet and getting an adequate amount of sleep and exercise. They should also avoid cigarettes and alcohol.