[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 80 (Monday, June 17, 2002)]
[House]
[Pages H3576-H3578]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SUPPORTING GOALS AND IDEALS OF MENINGITIS AWARENESS MONTH
Mr. MICA. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the
concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 340) supporting the goals and
ideals of Meningitis Awareness Month.
The Clerk read as follows:
H. Con. Res. 340
Whereas meningitis is usually caused by a viral or
bacterial infection;
Whereas viral meningitis is generally less severe than
bacterial meningitis;
Whereas bacterial meningitis caused by the meningococcus,
Neisseria meningitidis, is one of the most deadly and least
understood infections in the United States;
Whereas in 2000 more than 2,900 people in the United States
developed meningococcal disease;
Whereas the 2 most common types of meningococcal disease
are meningitis, an infection of the fluid that surrounds the
spinal cord and the brain, the symptoms of which include high
fever, headache, stiff neck, confusion, lethargy, vomiting,
and seizures, and meningococcemia, an infection of the blood
stream, the symptoms of which include a red-brown rash or
purple blotches;
Whereas although meningococcal disease can be treated with
a number of effective antibiotics, such treatment must begin
early in the course of the disease, because the disease can
be fatal within hours after the first symptoms appear;
Whereas individuals who survive meningococcal meningitis
can suffer from debilitating effects such as hearing and
vision loss, learning difficulties or mental retardation,
loss of arms and legs, and paralysis;
Whereas between 20 percent and 25 percent of all people
carry the bacterium that causes meningococcal disease in the
back of their noses and throats without developing the
disease, but can pass the bacterium to others;
Whereas the bacterium that causes meningococcal disease can
be passed by close contact that involves the exchange of
respiratory or throat secretions with someone who is infected
or is carrying the bacterium, including coughing, kissing,
and sharing items such as cigarettes, lipsticks, foods,
drinks, toothbrushes, and mouth guards;
Whereas meningococcal disease cannot be spread merely by
being in the same room with an infected person or by
breathing the air where an infected person has been;
Whereas meningococcal disease usually develops within 1 to
14 days after exposure;
Whereas although the occurrence of meningococcal disease
was once highest among children between the ages of 6 months
and 36 months, the occurrence of the disease among older
children and adolescents has been increasing in recent years,
with a number of outbreaks occurring at schools and
universities;
Whereas although a vaccine is currently available which
provides protection against 4 of the 5 common strains of
meningococcal disease in the United States, vaccinations are
rarely administered until after an outbreak occurs;
Whereas the medical community should be encouraged to make
a routine practice of informing adolescent patients and their
parents about the option of being vaccinated
[[Page H3577]]
against this debilitating and often deadly disease; and
Whereas the Meningitis Awareness Key to prevention (MAK)
organization has requested that Congress designate April as
Meningitis Awareness Month in order to raise public awareness
about meningitis and the availability of effective vaccines
against meningococcal disease: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That Congress supports the goals and ideals of
Meningitis Awareness Month.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Mica) and the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia
(Ms. Norton) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mica).
Mr. MICA. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, I am pleased to have the House consider House
Concurrent Resolution 340. I want to take this opportunity to commend
my distinguished colleague, the gentleman from California (Mr.
Doolittle), for introducing this important measure and also for working
so hard to bring this resolution before the floor.
This resolution, which I am pleased to present today on behalf of the
Subcommittee on Civil Service and Agency Organization and its chair,
the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Weldon), expresses the support of the
House for the goals and ideals of Meningitis Awareness Month.
Meningitis is a potentially fatal disease and not a lot is known
about it. In the year 2000, nearly 3,000 Americans contracted
meningitis, and many of those were newborn. The Meningitis Awareness
Key to Prevention Organization has asked that April be recognized as
Meningitis Awareness Month. The purpose of this particular recognition
is to raise public awareness about meningitis and the availability of
effective vaccines against the disease.
{time} 1500
Meningitis is an infection of the fluid that surrounds the spinal
cord and the brain. The most common forms of meningitis are bacterial
meningitis and viral meningitis. Bacterial meningitis is, as the
resolution points out, one of the most deadly and least understood
infections in the United States. It is highly contagious and can be
spread through close contact with others. However, if diagnosed quickly
and treated promptly, most people make a full recovery. However,
without proper treatment, bacterial meningitis can be fatal, sometimes
within hours, or lead to permanent handicaps such as deafness,
paralysis, or brain damage.
Historically, most cases of bacterial meningitis occurred among
children under 3 years of age. In recent years, however, there have
been a number of meningitis outbreaks at both our schools and
universities.
Everyone should be aware of the symptoms of bacterial meningitis,
particularly in newborns, children, and also in adults. The symptoms
are fever, a stiff neck, an aching back, and sometimes nausea. Viral
meningitis is the more common type of meningitis. Although rarely life-
threatening, it can severely weaken a person. Since the symptoms of
viral meningitis are the same as bacterial meningitis, it is most
important that individuals seek medical attention quickly, especially
when symptoms appear.
Aside from vaccines, there is no way to protect against contracting
meningitis. There are effective vaccines against certain strains of
meningitis, but vaccines are rarely administered until after an
outbreak has occurred. The medical community should be encouraged to
inform adolescents and parents, particularly those of young people,
about the option of being vaccinated against this debilitating and
potentially deadly disease.
Madam Speaker, I ask all Members to support this resolution.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, approximately 3,000 cases of meningitis occur each
year in the United States. Ten to thirteen percent of patients die,
despite receiving antibiotics early in the illness. Of those who
survive, an additional 10 percent have severe after-effects of the
disease, including mental retardation, hearing loss, and loss of limbs.
On September 30, 1997, the American College Health Association, which
represents about half of the colleges with student health services in
the United States, released a statement recommending that ``college
health services take a more proactive role in alerting students and
their parents about the dangers of meningococcal disease.''
Studies undertaken by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
indicate that freshman college students, particularly those who live in
dormitories, constitute a group that are at a modestly increased rate
for meningococcal disease.
Meningitis is an infection of the fluid of a person's spinal cord and
the fluid that surrounds the brain. The disease is usually caused by a
viral or bacterial infection. The bacteria are very common and live
naturally in the back of the nose and throat.
They normally spread between people in close and prolonged contact by
coughing, sneezing and intimate kissing. Children under 5, teenagers,
young adults, and the elderly are most at risk of contracting the
disease. However, college students are a key at-risk group because of
their lifestyle, which includes the close togetherness of student
accommodations.
This resolution supporting Meningitis Awareness Month will alert
college students and those most susceptible to the disease to vaccines
and immunization efforts that help combat the disease. I urge all
Members to give this bill their support.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MICA. Madam Speaker, I am pleased to yield 5 minutes to the
gentleman from California (Mr. Doolittle), who is the author of this
resolution.
Mr. DOOLITTLE. Madam Speaker, I very much appreciate the gentleman
from Florida (Mr. Mica), our chairman, supporting this resolution and
advocating its passage on the floor today. I think he outlined very
clearly what the threats are, as did the gentlewoman from the District
of Columbia (Ms. Norton) as well.
I became really intimately aware of the ravages of this disease when
a meningitis outbreak hit the Sacramento region in 2000, and then again
in 2001, killing five high school students, three of whom were my
constituents. Peter and Rose Kwett, personal friends of mine from
Carmichael, California, saw their 15-year-old daughter, Mary Jo, taken
from them as a result of this dreaded disease.
This year, there have been seven cases reported in my region,
including the fatality of a sixth-grade girl from Greer Elementary
School in Sacramento.
I introduced this resolution really to heighten the awareness of this
terrible disease which afflicts approximately 2,500 individuals in the
United States each year. As the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mica)
indicated, people can do certain things to protect themselves,
generally involving what we think of as good hygiene habits. Also,
there is a vaccine available.
Last year in my home State of California, the legislature passed a
resolution designating the month of April as Meningitis Awareness
Month. The Meningitis Awareness Key to Prevention Organization supports
this resolution, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.
Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. MICA. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of the time.
I would like to close by saying it is the goal of this resolution to
raise public awareness about meningitis, and also the availability of
the effective vaccines against this potentially debilitating or often
fatal disease. I want to take this opportunity to thank the Meningitis
Awareness Key to Prevention Organization for its efforts to educate all
Americans to recognize the symptoms of this disease and also to urge
that individuals seek prompt medical attention.
I also want to thank the gentleman from California (Mr. Doolittle)
for his leadership on this issue and for bringing this resolution,
because it is important to bring this debilitating disease and
information about it before the American public. So I thank him again
for his work on this resolution.
Madam Speaker, I urge all Members to support this resolution seeking
the goals of Meningitis Awareness Month.
[[Page H3578]]
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, approximately 3,000 cases of
meningococcal disease occur each year in the United States. Of those
infected, 10-13 percent die despite receiving early treatments of
antibiotics for the illness. Those who survive the illness, about 10
percent, have severe aftereffects of the disease, such as mental
retardation, hearing loss or loss of limbs.
Meningitis is one of the least understood infectious diseases
existing in the United States today. Two forms of meningitis, bacterial
and viral meningitis, quietly threaten children, and increasingly,
adolescents. Bacterial meningitis, the deadlier of the two varieties,
causes an inflammation of the lining that surrounds the brain.
Approximately 20 percent of the population carries the bacteria in the
back of the nose or throat without contracting the disease. If,
however, the bacteria move into the bloodstream, the carrier quickly
become endangered. Data suggests certain social behaviors such as,
exposure to passive and active smoking, bar patronage and excessive
alcohol consumption may increase students' risk for contracting the
disease. In addition, data also shows that students living in
dormitories, particularly freshman, are at increased risk.
Early diagnosis is the key to successful treatment and public
awareness is crucial in order to expedite an accurate and timely
diagnosis. The vaccines that are available are effective, but are
rarely administered before there is an outbreak. The recent outbreaks
in Northern California, and nation-wide, have increasingly occurred on
high school, college, and university campuses as opposed to occurring
in infants, which once had the highest occurrence rate.
As we go on to promote Meningitis Awareness month, we must keep in
mind that many of the people who suffer from meningitis are seniors.
The most deadly form of meningitis is casued by bacteria, which must be
treated immediately with prescription antibiotics. Unfortunately, we
still have no prescription drug benefit for our medicare population. It
is ironic, and must be addressed.
Therefore, I urge my colleagues to support H. Con. Res. 340 and let
us become more aware of meningitis.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Biggert). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mica) that the House suspend
the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 340.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of
those present have voted in the affirmative.
Mr. MICA. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.
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