FYI

STILLWATER, OK -- Officials from the Oklahoma State Department of Health said today that a 21-year-old Oklahoma State University female student has been diagnosed with meningitis.

The Oklahoma State Department of Health, Payne County Health Department and Oklahoma State University are working to identify all persons at risk and will recommend post-exposure antibiotics. A number of the student’s close friends have been contacted and treated.

Officials with the Oklahoma State Department of Health say the general public is not at risk. Only persons who have had close, personal contact to a person with a meningococcal infection have a slightly increased risk of developing the disease.

Meningitis is caused by the bacteria Neisseria meningitidis. The symptoms may appear two to ten days after infection, but usually appear within three to four days. People that are ill with meningitis will have fever, intense headache, nausea, vomiting, and a stiff neck. It is important to seek care from a physician as soon as possible if these symptoms appear.

A fact sheet on meningococcal disease and other information are available at http://osu.okstate.edu/news/meningitis.htm. Those with immediate health concerns should visit a local emergency room, or contact their family physician or University Health Services.

Additional information is available by contacting the Payne County Health Department at (405) 372-8200, or the Epidemiologist-on-call at the Oklahoma State Department of Health Communicable Disease Division at (405) 271-4060.