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Third UO Student Shows Symptoms Of Meningococcemia

UPDATE: Lane County Health officials said Wednesday a third person has been hospitalized with a potential case of Meningococcemia.

Lane County health officials are looking for connections between the recent diagnosis of Meningococcemia– a blood infection that causes meningitis - and the case diagnosed last month. Both women with the diagnosis are University of Oregon Students.

An epidemiological team will collect samples from the two women and send them to the state lab where they will be compared. The results will be released in a few days.

Health officials are concerned about the number of people the recently diagnosed woman was in contact with on the U of O campus. They are administering preventative medication to those at risk. Jason Davis from Lane County Health says the public should be on the lookout for symptoms, although they can be deceiving:

DAVIS: "One of the biggest problems, and pretty much anything you get this time of year, is that your first symptoms are flu-like. That includes the body aches, the chills, fever, the lethargy and just kind of feeling down and out."   

The bacteria is usually contracted through shared respiratory droplets, but can occasionally be transmitted on hard surfaces. Davis says if you are experiencing any of these symptoms, including severe headaches and neck pain, contact your medical provider immediately.

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