Northeastern student has meningitis

A Northeastern University freshman was hospitalized with a confirmed case of acute bacterial meningitis this weekend, while six others were treated for symptoms of the disease.

Several of the students are members of the men’s and women’s track team and are being treated at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

On-campus students have been given a letter outlining the incident and urging students who experience symptoms or come into contact with ill students to seek help.

Despite the events of the weekend, some students said they are not worried about the disease.

“So far it’s just been the track team,” said Dan Sullivan, a Northeastern freshman.

Sullivan said one of his friends had symptoms and was planning to get examined.

Northeastern senior Jay McKenna said he heard about the situation just yesterday.

“I was pretty surprised,” McKenna said.

Kristen Rago, a Sargent College of Rehabilitation Sciences freshman, said she is not informed enough about the disease to be worried.

“I don’t know enough about it,” she said.

All three supported the idea of informing students throughout their campuses, but said the decision to get examined should be left up to the students themselves.

“I think they should definitely inform people,” McKenna said. “It can spread fast.”

Meningitis is an infection of spinal cord fluid and the fluid surrounding the brain. The bacterial form is often more severe than the viral form, but often can be treated with antibiotics.

The symptoms often resemble those of the flu and include high fever, headache, stiff neck and fatigue.

The disease spreads through the exchange of fluids from the throat and respiratory tract, often by coughing or kissing.

Occasionally, the disease is contracted through prolonged close contact as with people living in the same household.

There are vaccines available to prevent the spread of the disease.