Associated Press
PULLMAN — A Washington State University student diagnosed with meningococcal meningitis remained in a Spokane hospital Wednesday.
The 18-year-old freshman, a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, was treated at Pullman Memorial Hospital on Tuesday and then transferred to Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane.
She was listed in critical condition.
Meningitis is the infectious inflammation of the tissues that cover the brain and spinal cord.
Dr. Bruce Wright, director of WSU Health and Wellness Services, said health officers have identified people who have come in close contact with the patient so that antibiotics can be administered as a precaution. He said there is no threat to the public.
Successful treatment of the illness depends on prompt treatment, Wright said.
Symptoms include severe headaches, stiff neck, extreme nausea, vomiting, rash, lethargy and high fever. Wright said the illness can feel like a bad case of the flu, and those with symptoms should seek treatment immediately.
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