A Princeton University student was hospitalized Sunday morning for a suspected case of meningitis that could make him the seventh person associated with the university to contract either meningitis or me
by Philip Sean Curran, Packet Media Group
A Princeton University student was hospitalized Sunday morning for a suspected case of meningitis that could make him the seventh person associated with the university to contract either meningitis or meningococcal disease since March.
The university, dealing with what the state Health Department has called an outbreak of meningococcal disease, said the male student began developing “symptoms of acute illness” on Saturday.
He went to the school’s McCosh Health Center and then to a local hospital the university would not identify, the school said in an email alert sent Sunday afternoon.
University spokesman Martin A. Mbugua said Monday the student lives on campus. He would not release the student’s age or say what kind of symptoms he had started developing.
”We don’t go into specifics for privacy reasons,” Mr. Mbugua said.
Symptoms of meningococcal disease include fever, headaches and nausea. It can lead to death if untreated, according to the state Department of Health. The disease is spread by close contact, like kissing.
In its email alert, the university said the student was “diagnosed” with meningitis. But Princeton Health Officer Robert Hary said Monday it is more accurate to call it a “suspected” case since it has to be confirmed and lab results will take a few days.
Mr. Hary said his office and the university are investigating to determine any possible contacts the student might have had, and then seek to have those people treated as necessary.
The state Department of Health, on its website, said that it and “local health officials and Princeton University Health Services, in consultation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, continue to work together to monitor the situation and identify cases and their close contacts.”
The state said the first case was a female university student who developed symptoms of meningococcal disease on March 22 after coming back from spring break.
According to the state, the other cases included:
* An out-of-state visitor to campus in April;
* A male student in May;
* A male student who developed symptoms in May while going home for summer break;
* A male student in June while abroad;
* A female student “who developed symptoms of meningococcal disease on October 1,” the state said.
All six people, who recovered, had meningococcal bacteria type B, the state and the university said. There is no vaccine for that type, the state said.
Of those six cases, five of them had the “identical strain of the bacteria,” said the state, which added there is “no common link” among the six cases.
”We hope that by considering this an outbreak, we will increase awareness and prompt early case recognition among members of the Princeton community and health care providers,” the state Department of Health said on its website.
The state said there is “no recommendation for the surrounding community to avoid contact with Princeton or Princeton students.”
The university again reminded people to take simple hygiene steps that include covering their cough, washing hands frequently and not sharing drinking glasses or eating utensils.