A university student has been hospitalized with meningitis, prompting county health officials to administer preventative antibiotics to more than 30 people who came in contact with him.
Officials have yet to determine which kind of meningitis the freshman Alpha Tau Omega pledge has, but he remains hospitalized and is "recovering nicely," University Health Center Director Sacared Bodison said.
School officials said the disease has been contained.
Meningitis cases arise most years and are often received with the same precautions, Bodison said.
A milder meningitis can be caused by a virus, while a much more severe, potentially fatal form of the disease is caused by a bacterial infection.
Junior kinesiology major Mike Zarro, president of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity, called the pledge's illness an "isolated incident." The student, who has only been identified by his first name, John, was admitted to the Washington Adventist Hospital in Takoma Park on Friday after his symptoms became "severe," Zarro said.
After realizing that the pledge was seriously ill, Zarro and other fraternity members called for help from the health center and the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life.
Meningitis is an infection of the covering of the spinal cord and the fluid that surrounds the brain, according to the university health center website. The disease is rare, but college students living in dorms and individuals with weak immune systems are especially susceptible. The disease is fatal in 10 to 15 percent of cases.
A stiff neck, high fever and headache are among the most common symptoms of meningitis, but seizures can begin as the disease progresses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The many forms of meningitis are spread through "spit sharing," said Dr. Gail Lee, a clinical director at the health center. That means sharing food and drinks or kissing can spread meningitis.
The meningitis vaccine is mandatory for all students living in on-campus housing, though students can choose to skip the shot by signing a waiver.
Meningitis is usually diagnosed by a CAT scan followed by a spinal tap (a procedure in which spinal fluid is removed through a needle from a patient's lower back, according to health officials.
Another freshman Alpha Tau Omega pledge was hospitalized last Wednesday, but was released on Sunday after being diagnosed with the flu. Health officials see no wrongdoing on the part of the fraternity.
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