Actor Daveigh Chase, who appeared in The Ring and voiced Lilo in Disney’s animated Lilo & Stitch, died Tuesday at the age of 35, according to statements shared with the New York Times and BBC, among others.
Chase’s father, John David Schwallier, told the New York Times that she died in a Los Angeles hospital from complications of bacterial meningitis and a blood infection.
The infection is known for its speed and how quickly it can turn lethal. It has been in the spotlight after an “unprecedented” wave of infections in the U.K. earlier this year that largely centred around young adults.
Canada has seen its own surges of the lethal infection, most recently in 2024.
Here’s what to know, and how to protect yourself and your loved ones.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines meningitis as “inflammation (swelling) of the lining of the brain and spinal cord.”
The infection can be caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi, or even by injuries, cancer, specific medications and various other types of infections.
Most meningitis cases are caused by five types of bacteria: A, B, C, Y and W-135, though in Canada, meningitis B causes most illness, according to Health Canada.
Health Canada states that symptoms of invasive meningitis can develop two to 10 days after being infected, with most hitting after three to four days.
The two most common types are meningococcal meningitis, which affects the lining of the brain and spinal cord and causes swelling, and meningococcal sepsis or meningococcemia, which is an infection in the blood that damages the walls of the blood vessels and causes organ failure.
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Health Canada states that both are “extremely serious and require urgent hospital attention” and “complications and death can happen very rapidly.”
Common signs and symptoms of meningitis can include sudden onset of fever, intense headache and severe, painful neck stiffness.
Other common symptoms of meningitis can include:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Photophobia or sensitivity to light
- Changes in levels of consciousness, alertness and ability to respond to environments
Meningitis can also present more subtly in newborns and infants, with symptoms including vomiting, feeding poorly, irritability, seeming lethargic, having a bulging fontanelle and changes in alertness.
The Meningitis Research Foundation states that in 2023, there were an estimated 259,000 meningitis deaths in Canada, making it the sixth highest infectious killer of children under five years old.
While anyone can contract meningitis infections, certain ages typically face a higher risk.
These include young people between 15 and 20, as well as children and infants.
Young adults, especially those in shared living environments such as university and college dorms, face a higher risk because of close living quarters. Meningitis spreads via saliva, so kissing and sharing things like food, utensils, cigarettes and similar items can increase the risk.
In addition, those who do not have a spleen or who have a medical condition that affects their spleen, such as sickle cell disease and immune disorders, are at a higher risk of developing meningitis.
The spleen is part of the immune system and helps to filter blood, which aids in preventing infections.
Exposure is also high for those who “work in a lab where you may be exposed to the meningococcus bacteria, live in an overcrowded household, smoke or are exposed to cigarette smoke” and “have a current or recent respiratory tract infection.”
The only way to prevent most meningitis cases is through vaccination.
Currently, Canada recommends various vaccines that cover different bacterial subtypes — including the four-subtype shot that offers protection against meningitis A, C, W and Y and different vaccines that protect against subtypes B and C.
Currently, four kinds of meningitis vaccines are available in Canada, with each one fighting the different strains: Menactra (Men-C-ACYW-DT), Menveo (Men-C-ACYW-CRM), Nimenrix (Men-C-ACYW-TT), and MenQuadfi (Men-C-ACYW-TT).
A meningitis C vaccine is typically administered to babies and young children, while the shot offering protection against the four subtypes is typically given to higher-risk groups or, in some provinces, to all teenagers.
The meningitis B vaccine is usually given only to kids at a higher risk, with its use varying between provinces.
The City of Toronto states that the meningitis B vaccine is administered for free “for close contacts of a confirmed case of meningococcal B infection, and in an outbreak setting,” alongside being free for children between two months and 17 years of age if they are at higher risk of severe disease.
The Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) also covers vaccines for meningitis A, B and C for youth.
Nova Scotia started offering the meningitis B vaccine for free to young adults 25 years old and younger living in congregate settings such as university dorms or military barracks in 2022.
Health Canada also notes that these vaccines become “less effective over time” as the effectiveness “depends on the strain being vaccinated against and how long it’s been since you were vaccinated.”
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