An Ohio University student who lives in Crawford Hall has been diagnosed with bacterial meningitis, a contagious and potentially deadly infection.
A second student who shared a class with the first has been identified as a probable case. The second student is a James Hall resident.
Vice President for Student Affairs Kent Smith said the two students are in stable condition but are not out of the woods yet.
Meningitis is an inflammation of the lining surrounding the spine and brain caused by an infection that is spread through sneezing, coughing, and close contact through saliva, said Jim Shultz, unit manager of the Emergency Department at O'Bleness Memorial Hospital.
The first student has bacterial meningitis, a rare but highly contagious infection that can cause death or serious brain damage.
But most students don't have much to worry about
Shultz said, emphasizing that only students who have had close contact with or have been in the same room as the infected student are at risk for infection. Those students are being contacted by the university and are receiving immunizations, he said.
Just because someone feels the symptoms of meningitis - headache, stiff neck and fever - does not mean they have the infection, he added. Although the condition is contagious, it is only spread through very close contact.
Chances for feeling bad and having the condition are limited Shultz said. Unless (someone) has had exposure we don't know about.
The university sent an emergency text message to students at about 5:30 p.m. informing them of the cases. The first student was transported to a Columbus hospital Saturday, according to a university news release.
A second probable case was reported today, and the James Hall resident was transported to a hospital outside of Athens, the release said.
Smith confirmed that the two students shared a class together, but could not release their identities. Although he could not confirm that the class was where the bacteria spread, the university has not found any other connection between the two freshmen.
University officials met with all the Crawford Hall residents on the same floor as the infected student to answer questions Sunday. They will hold a similar meeting with James Hall residents later tonight, Smith said.
Hudson Health Center will have extended hours tonight to administer the antibiotics to those concerned they may have had close contact with the students. The antibiotics cost $2.
Smith said that the university has been in touch with the county health department, and though he has no reason to believe that there are any additional cases, the health department is prepared to take more drastic measures in the event of an outbreak.
According to the Associated Press, two soldiers came down with meningitis earlier this month at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. One of the soldiers died.
Three students were diagnosed with meningitis at the University of Pennsylvania earlier this month, causing the university to cancel several weekend activities and hand out antibiotics to 2,100 students, the Associated Press reported.
Shultz said that meningitis cases were more common in the 1980s, with around 20,000 reported cases annually, but with immunizations introduced since then cases have dipped to around 1,400 to 3,000 a year. He said students are strongly encouraged to get immunized for meningitis prior to enrollment in a university.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Tristan Navera
