"Why Share E-Cigarettes?"... British Teenage Girl Diagnosed with Meningitis Afterward 'Scolded'

Vomiting and Rash Symptoms After Sharing E-Cigarette with Friend
Medical Staff: "Sharing E-Cigarettes May Be the Cause"

A teenage girl in the UK contracted bacterial meningitis after sharing an e-cigarette with her friends. The Mirror

A teenage girl in the UK contracted bacterial meningitis after sharing an e-cigarette with her friends.

According to foreign media such as The Sun and The Mirror on the 27th (local time), 18-year-old Sian Alderton visited a club with her friends last month and contracted bacterial meningitis. Alderton explained, "I drank about 3 to 4 glasses of alcohol and shared an e-cigarette with three friends." She added, "Sharing one cigarette with friends is common," and "Since they were my friends, I didn't think much of it."

However, from the next day, Alderton began showing abnormal symptoms such as vomiting. She also developed a rash all over her body. She said, "My whole body turned red," and "The symptoms appeared as if I had been bitten by insects." Alderton immediately visited the hospital and was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis after tests. Medical staff deliberately induced a coma using medication and began treatment.

Her mother, Kerry Durant (36), recalled, "Everything happened so quickly after arriving at the hospital," and said, "My daughter was deliberately put into a coma, and the medical staff said her condition was very serious." She added, "We had to prepare for the worst and say our goodbyes. There was a possibility that my daughter might not wake up from the coma." Fortunately, Alderton woke up after four days and was discharged after 14 days of hospitalization.

A teenage girl in the UK contracted bacterial meningitis after sharing an e-cigarette with her friends. The Mirror

The medical staff explained to Alderton, "It is impossible to determine where the bacteria originated," but added, "There is a possibility that the infection was transmitted through saliva from kissing or sharing drinks." They further stated, "If you shared the cigarette with friends, that is likely the cause."

Meningitis is a disease in which inflammation occurs in the thin membranes surrounding the brain. When the cause of the inflammation is bacterial, it is called bacterial meningitis. The causative bacteria include Escherichia coli, Listeria, Group B streptococcus, Haemophilus influenzae type B, and Neisseria meningitidis. Various bacteria enter epithelial cells through the nose or mouth, survive in the bloodstream, pass through the vascular walls, and invade the cerebrospinal fluid, causing inflammation. It is especially dangerous to share cigarettes with others, as in Alderton’s case, because multiple bacteria can proliferate and be transmitted.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.