Why are college students at greater risk for meningococcal disease than the general population?
While the reasons are not yet fully understood, studies from previous college outbreaks suggest that college students are more susceptible because they live and work in close proximity to each other in dormitories and classrooms. Behavioral and social aspects of college life appear to be risk factors as well, with smoking, exposure to second-hand smoke, excessive alcohol consumption, and bar patronage all increasing the chance that one will contract meningitis from an infected individual.
