A study by Australian scientists reveals that individuals who frequently kiss multiple partners are at risk of contracting a deadly disease: meningitis.
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| Kissing one person does not lead to the risk of meningitis (Photo: TTO) |
This disease has been on the rise among adolescents in the United States and the United Kingdom since the 1990s. Although a vaccine against meningitis type C has been in use since 1999, there remains a threat from other forms of this deadly disease. One in ten adolescents is infected with the meningitis-causing bacteria.
Researchers interviewed 144 patients aged 15-19 diagnosed with meningitis who were hospitalized. They inquired about the patients’ friendships and collected blood, saliva, and throat samples for testing. The researchers found that the majority of the patients had frequently attended parties and engaged in affectionate behavior, kissing multiple partners.
Professor Robert Booy, the lead researcher, stated: “We have many types of bacteria in the throat. The bacteria that cause meningitis can easily spread through saliva.”
He hopes that young people, who often believe they “will never get sick,” will reconsider, as this deadly disease does not discriminate.
KHANG LINH (According to BBC NEWS)
