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A Duke student was admitted to the hospital for bacterial meningitis and the university announced that she hoped to reach people who were in close contact with the student.
Duke Student Health is working with the County of Durham Health Department to handle the situation, the university announced on its Duke Today website.
Close contact is defined as direct exposure to saliva or throat secretions, says Duke Today's leaflet. According to the statement, such contacts could occur when sharing drinks, utensils, kisses or prolonged exposure to coughs.
Students who were able to get in touch with the infected student received a message from the university doctors informing them that taking an antibiotic would be helpful "as a preventative measure to further reduce the risk ", Writes Duke Today's article.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that bacterial meningitis is very serious and can lead to death or disability. An average of 4,100 cases and 500 deaths were reported annually in the United States between 2003 and 2007, according to a study published on the CDC website, which also lists all the symptoms and patterns of spread of various strains of meningitis .
Students who have questions, including those who have left the campus for Thanksgiving, can contact Duke at 919-681-9355 or the Durham County Health Department at 919-560-7600.
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