Toronto Declared A Meningococcal Disease Outbreak & It's Affecting 20 To 30-Year-Olds

The City of Toronto is currently experiencing a meningococcal disease outbreak, where one person has already died.

Toronto Public Health (TPH) confirmed in a news release on August 25 that there are three cases of "invasive" meningococcal disease here in the city, and everyone affected is between 20 and 30 years old.

The meningococcal disease comes from a bacteria known as Neisseria meningitides, according to TPH, and infection is "very rare, but serious." Illnesses that are caused by this disease are typically severe and can even be deadly, as the infection can attack the lining of the brain, spinal cord (meningitis) and bloodstream.

TPH says all three people started to feel symptoms between July 15 and July 17, and were born outside of Canada in places that didn't provide childhood vaccines against this disease.

At the moment, TPH hasn't been able to pinpoint the link between all of these cases. However, all three people had the same "rare strain of serogroup C meningococcal disease."

So, what are the symptoms? Well, the symptoms start with fever, aches, joint pain, headache, stiff neck, and photophobia (when your eyes feel discomfort in bright light). If you are experiencing all of these symptoms, TPH encourages you to contact your local health care provider.

The health agency is also recommending that adults between 20 and 36 years old who haven't gotten the vaccine that protects them from this disease, get their dose "as soon as possible."

After all, the meningococcal disease is spread between people through close and prolonged contact, and through "sharing respiratory and throat secretions (saliva or spit)".

"Keeping up to date with recommended vaccines is the best protection against meningococcal disease," said TPH.