EUGENE–The University of Oregon confirmed today (Friday, Feb. 9) that a 19-year-old female residence hall student died early this morning at Sacred Heart Medical Center due to complications from meningococcal disease.

The family of the Portland resident has been notified. She was admitted to the hospital early Thursday morning after experiencing severe flu-like symptoms.

"We are extremely saddened by the tragic death of this student and our hearts go out to her parents and family," says Laura Blake Jones, UO director of student life. "While this condition is rare and not very contagious, we are working closely with the Lane County Health Department to contact people who may have had direct contact with the student. We feel the campus community is not at risk."

Meningococcal disease occurs rarely and sporadically throughout the year, although outbreaks tend to occur in late winter and early spring. Because meningococcal disease can cause grave illness and rapidly progress to death, it requires early diagnosis and treatment. Symptoms include sore throat, rash, neck pain and stiffness, and high fever.

Meningococcal bacteria cannot usually live for more than a few minutes outside the body. As a result, they are not easily transmitted in water supplies, swimming pools or by routine contact with an infected person in a classroom, dining room, rest room and similar places.

Roommates, friends, spouses and children who have had direct contact with the oral secretions of a person diagnosed with meningococcal disease, or who have had direct close contact of four or more hours in the past week with a person with this disease, are at risk for contracting the disease, They are advised to receive preventative medication immediately.

The UO University Health Center will provide the antibiotic, ciprofloxacin, to those individuals who believe they may have been exposed to the bacteria by this student. The health center, located at 1590 E. 13th Ave. on the UO campus, is open on weekends from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Dr. Vicki Skellcerf, a University Health Center physician, says the number of people directly exposed to the student likely will be small. She says vaccines also are available, but not recommended.

"The vaccine will protect people against the disease, but is effective two weeks after it’s administered, so it’s not an effective immediate response to an individual case such as this one," says Skellcerf.

In addition to contacting fellow students and others who may be at risk due to direct exposure to these students, the Office of Student Life will be coordinating counseling and support services to those who knew the student.

Approximately 10 percent of the general population carries meningococcal bacteria in the nose and throat in a harmless state. This carrier state may last for days or months before spontaneously disappearing, and it seems to give persons who harbor the bacteria in their upper respiratory tracts some protection from developing meningococcal disease.

The annual incidence of meningococcal disease in the United States is about one case per 100,000 population. The case fatality rate is about 12 percent.

For more information, call the UO Office of Student Life at (541) 912-9087 or the Lane County Health Department at (541) 682-4041.

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