2nd Rutgers Student Now Has Bacterial Meningitis

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ — A second student at Rutgers University in New Brunswick has now been diagnosed with meningitis, a Rutgers spokesman confirmed to Patch.

The student was hospitalized this past Saturday, February 23 and is currently receiving treatment, the school announced in a mass email sent to all students and staff on Sunday.

This is the second case of bacterial meningitis on the Rutgers New Brunswick campus this February. In the first case, the Rutgers student was hospitalized February 4, received treatment and was released from the hospital.

The first student had serogroup B meningococcal disease (MenB), school officials said. Testing is being done to determine the specific type/serogroup of meningococcal bacteria in the current student.

School officials and doctors are trying to determine if the two cases might be linked, such as whether the students were in close proximity with each other.

Anyone who had close contact with either student has been been notified so they can receive antibiotics as a preventative measure.

Meningitis is treatable with antibiotics once diagnosed, but quick medical attention is extremely important. Otherwise, meningitis can be fatal, and kill within days of being diagnosed, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Vaccination is the best protection against meningitis. However, the vaccine routinely given to protect against meningococcal disease protects against four serogroups – A, C, W and Y. The vaccine does not provide protection against Serogroup B meningococcal disease, the type the first Rutgers student had.

Signs and symptoms could include high fever, headache, stiff neck and a rash, and can develop over several hours, or over one to two days, said Dr. Melodee Lasky, MD and Rutgers' assistant vice chancellor for health & wellness.

If you feel ill you should seek the care of a doctor. Tell them about the recent cases of meningitis on the Rutgers campus, the school said.

Meningitis is sometimes called the "kissing disease," as the bacteria is spread through close physical contact such as kissing and sharing drinks with someone.

"(Meningitis) is generally transmitted through direct exchange of respiratory and throat secretions by close personal contact such as sharing drinks, kissing and being in close proximity for an extended period of time," said Dr. Lasky.

It's important to remember bacterial meningitis is not spread airborne as easily as common cold or flu germs.

Related: Rutgers Student Has Bacterial Meningitis, School Confirms (Feb. 7, 2019)