Mobile, Alabama — The Alabama Department of Public Health and the Mobile County Health Department have issued a warning to residents after confirming a case of Neisseria meningitidis, a fast-acting and potentially fatal bacterial infection. This is Mobile County’s first reported case this year.
According to health officials, Neisseria meningitidis can cause serious illnesses such as meningitis, which inflames the brain and spinal cord, and meningococcemia, a dangerous blood infection.
Symptoms typically include fever, headache, and nausea, but they can quickly escalate to life-threatening levels. The CDC warns that the infection can be fatal within hours.
Due to federal privacy laws (HIPAA), no additional information about the patient has been released. However, officials emphasize that anyone can contract the disease and should seek medical attention as soon as symptoms appear.
Key preventive measures, according to health experts, include vaccination, proper hygiene, and avoiding close contact with infected individuals.