A string of meningitis cases in New York City and Southern California, resulting in the deaths of several gay men, have set the gay community on high alert. Los Angeles County health officials said Tuesday that early tests show that the cases from the two cities are not related.
"Public Health has not identified any other cases of meningococcal disease associated with this patient, nor identified any linkage between this patient and cases being reported in other areas of the country," according to a news release from the Department of Public Health.
Brett Shaad, a 33-year-old lawyer from West Hollywood was diagnosed with meningitis earlier this month and later died.
In New York City, a strain of the illness circulated among gay men and infected 22 people, resulting in seven fatalities, since 2010.
The officials say the four Los Angeles cases in gay and bisexual men don't appear to be "highly related" to those elsewhere in Southern California or in New York City.
Meningitis is transmitted through close contact with an infected person and kills, often quickly, by causing the lining around the brain to swell. It commonly spreads through places where people live closely together, such as dorms and military housing.Symptoms can include a sudden fever, headache and stiff neck, as well as nausea, vomiting, confusion and increased sensitivity to light.
Federal health authorities are also testing the samples.
