Duke student tests positive for bacterial meningitis

DURHAM, N,C, (WTVD) -- A Duke University student has tested positive for bacterial meningitis. The undergraduate student was recently admitted to the hospital, the university said Monday.

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University officials are working to alert people who may have come in close contact with the student.

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Duke Student Health has also been working closely with the Durham County Health Department to find potential contacts, the school said. Close contact is considered direct exposure to a person's saliva. Examples might include kissing, sharing a drink or toothbrush, or prolonged exposure to someone coughing.

Casual contact does not transmit the infection.

Dr. John Vaughn, director of Student Health Services, and Dr. Cameron Wolfe, associate professor of medicine in the infectious disease division, sent a message to students who may have had contact with the affected student, updating them about the situation and advising that they may want to take an antibiotic "as a preventative measure to lower the risk even further."

The doctors encouraged students to contact Duke's student health center if they have questions at (919) 681-9355, Option 2. Non-students can contact the Durham County Health Department at (919) 560-7600. Students who were notified and who have already left for the Thanksgiving holiday can contact their local health provider about receiving the antibiotic.