Three gay men die of meningitis outbreak in los angeles

Three men sickened during a meningitis outbreak in L.A.’s gay community have died, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said Thursday.

The department announced earlier this week that there have been eight cases of invasive meningococcal disease in the county so far this year. Four cases occurred in men who have sex with men. On Thursday, officials said three of them had died, officials said. The victims were 27 or 28.

The department said some of those infected men lived or socialized in the West Hollywood and North Hollywood areas but were not more specific.

Medical experts say the disease is not an epidemic, but urge vaccinations for gay and bisexual men in the wake of three deaths.

Meningitis is the inflammation of the meninges, the tissue that covers the brain and spinal cord. When most people refer to meningitis, they mean inflammation due to infection, but malignancies and chemicals can also cause inflammation. Meningitis can range from a mild, self-limiting infection when it is caused by certain viruses, to a severe, rapidly fatal infection when it is caused by bacteria. When the cause is fungi or tuberculosis, it can also be severe, but the disease develops over a few weeks rather than a few days.

Agencies/Canadajournal