Deadly Meningitis Strain in New York City, Only Seen in Men

A deadly strain of bacterial meningitis has been issued by the New York City health department, warning residents that they should be vaccinated as the strain could be lethal.

According to The Wall Street Journal, reports indicate that the symptoms come on quickly and the disease can be fatal if not treated immediately.

It is also only been seen in men, and patients often contract it through anonymous sexual encounters with other men, which can makes it difficult to trace the infection's path.

The standard meningitis vaccine is effective against the new strain. The health department is advising it for men regardless of HIV status who regularly have contact with other men they meet online, at a bar or party.

The health department has so far reported 22 cases since 2010, including 13 last year and four this year. Seven have been fatal.

"It's been sort of marching through the community in a way that makes us very scared," said Dr. Jay Varma, the deputy commissioner for disease control at the city's health department this week.

Meningitis is traditionally spread in places where many people come into close contact, like military barracks and schools. It was only in the second outbreak, which began in 2010, that epidemiologists made the connection with sex and realized the variant was circulating exclusively among men. "We know there is clearly some kind of social-risk factor, being very socially active with people you've met either through online sites or parties," Dr. Varma said.

Many of those with the disease, he said, could not identify their sexual partners, according to The New York Times. "All they know is a screen name and a physical description," he said, adding, "It's another big challenge for us to identify how this disease is spreading."