NEW HAVEN >> A Yale undergraduate tested positive for bacterial meningitis but “is making excellent progress,” according to a message to the Yale community from Dr. Paul Genecin, director of Yale Health.
He said there have been no other reported cases since the single case was reported Monday.
Genecin wrote that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed that the student tested positive for serogroup B meningococcal disease. “Most cases of serogroup B meningococcal disease occur sporadically, and a single case does not meet the CDC definition of an outbreak,” Genecin wrote.
State law requires students living on school campuses to be vaccinated against meningitis, but the vaccine given does not protect against serogroup B, Genecin said. However, a newer vaccine does protect against that type and it is being offered by Yale Health to anyone between the ages of 18 and 25.
“With a single case on campus, federal, state, and local health officials do not recommend mass vaccinations, but we are prepared to offer the new vaccine to anyone in the Yale community who wishes to be vaccinated,” Genecin reported. More information can be found at http://emergency.yale.edu.
The Yale Daily News reported the student to be a female freshman from Silliman College.
Meningococcal disease is caused by inflammation of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, according to the CDC. It can cause brain damage, hearing loss, learning disabilities and in some cases is fatal. It is not spread through the air or by casual contact, according to the CDC.