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Peters Issues Health Update
Posted 2/3/2006
Vice President for Student Affairs J. Lee Peters sent the following email to students, faculty, and staff Thursday:
On Jan. 29, the University informed you that a University of Hartford student was hospitalized with symptoms consistent with meningitis. The student, who has responded well to treatment, remains hospitalized in stable condition.
On Feb. 2, we were informed by the Connecticut Department of Public Health that additional testing has found evidence consistent with recent infection caused by a type of bacteria called Neisseria meningitidis. Samples are being sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for confirmatory and additional strain testing.
Based on this information, the student appears to have meningococcal meningitis, which is a type of bacterial meningitis caused by Neisseria meningitidis. For more information on the disease, we refer you to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
There are different strains of Neisseria meningitidis. It is possible that this student was infected with a strain not protected against by the vaccine mandated for college undergraduates. The bacteria can be spread through the exchange of respiratory and throat secretions (such as kissing or sharing drinks, utensils, etc). Fortunately, these bacteria are not as contagious as agents that cause the common cold or the flu, and they are not spread by casual contact or by simply breathing the air where a person with meningitis has been.
Persons living in the same household or who have had direct contact with a patient’s oral secretions are those who would be considered at increased risk of acquiring the infection. Even though the risk of getting meningococcal disease is generally very low, as a precaution, direct contacts are often advised to take an antibiotic, usually ciprofloxacin or rifampin. Even when that step is deemed necessary, it does not imply an increase in risk for the broader community.
Under the direction of the Connecticut Department of Public Health, the University of Hartford Health Center has contacted and provided treatment to all the people identified as direct contacts of the student.
Members of the community should remain alert for symptoms for seven (7) days from the onset of the student’s illness, or until Friday, Feb. 3. If you believe you are manifesting symptoms such as a sudden onset of high fever with severe headache, stiff neck, and sensitivity to light, seek medical attention.
It is important to note that no other cases have been reported. We are now at the end of the seven (7) day time-frame, and this appears to be an isolated case.
If you have questions, please contact the Student Health Services, at 860.768.6601 or norris@hartford.edu, or your private physician. Thank you.
Dr. J. Lee Peters
Vice President for Student Affairs
On Jan. 29, the University informed you that a University of Hartford student was hospitalized with symptoms consistent with meningitis. The student, who has responded well to treatment, remains hospitalized in stable condition.
On Feb. 2, we were informed by the Connecticut Department of Public Health that additional testing has found evidence consistent with recent infection caused by a type of bacteria called Neisseria meningitidis. Samples are being sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for confirmatory and additional strain testing.
Based on this information, the student appears to have meningococcal meningitis, which is a type of bacterial meningitis caused by Neisseria meningitidis. For more information on the disease, we refer you to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
There are different strains of Neisseria meningitidis. It is possible that this student was infected with a strain not protected against by the vaccine mandated for college undergraduates. The bacteria can be spread through the exchange of respiratory and throat secretions (such as kissing or sharing drinks, utensils, etc). Fortunately, these bacteria are not as contagious as agents that cause the common cold or the flu, and they are not spread by casual contact or by simply breathing the air where a person with meningitis has been.
Persons living in the same household or who have had direct contact with a patient’s oral secretions are those who would be considered at increased risk of acquiring the infection. Even though the risk of getting meningococcal disease is generally very low, as a precaution, direct contacts are often advised to take an antibiotic, usually ciprofloxacin or rifampin. Even when that step is deemed necessary, it does not imply an increase in risk for the broader community.
Under the direction of the Connecticut Department of Public Health, the University of Hartford Health Center has contacted and provided treatment to all the people identified as direct contacts of the student.
Members of the community should remain alert for symptoms for seven (7) days from the onset of the student’s illness, or until Friday, Feb. 3. If you believe you are manifesting symptoms such as a sudden onset of high fever with severe headache, stiff neck, and sensitivity to light, seek medical attention.
It is important to note that no other cases have been reported. We are now at the end of the seven (7) day time-frame, and this appears to be an isolated case.
If you have questions, please contact the Student Health Services, at 860.768.6601 or norris@hartford.edu, or your private physician. Thank you.
Dr. J. Lee Peters
Vice President for Student Affairs
