Dear Friends:

My apologies to one and all, and especially to Rayelan, for not knowing there was such a thing as "viral meningitis." There are a substantial number of sites on the World Wide Web to learn about Meningitis, however. Here is a quote from one of them:

"The bacteria that cause meningitis also cause septicaemia, which is the blood poisoning form of the disease and the more life-threatening. The symptoms which may exist with septicaemia are fever, vomiting, cold hands and feet, rapid breathing, aches and pains in muscles and joints, diarrhoea and a red pin prick rash which will not fade under the pressure of a glass tumbler. This rash may go on to develop into purple bruise-like marks.

"Initial signs mirror flu-like symptoms but a person’s condition will deteriorate very rapidly. The common signs of meningitis may include severe headache, stiff neck, dislike of bright lights and drowsiness."

Unfortunately these last symptoms also describe almost every hang-over I have ever had. Need I say more?

Interestingly enough, four of the worst forms of Meningitis now have vaccines, and three of them are effective even for young children. People who travel on "the Hajj" or pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia are advised by British health authorities to get their vaccinations two weeks prior to leaving for the Saudi.

The image set below is of Nesseria Meningitis, which erupted in Ohio just a few weeks ago. The fact that some meningitis events mimic illnesses associated with the flu or influenza is also very troubling.

The Patriot