Another UCF student was diagnosed Wednesday with bacterial meningitis.
Christopher Taylor, who allowed the university to use his name in an e-mail sent to the UCF community Wednesday evening, was admitted to a hospital Monday with symptoms.
Taylor is said to be recovering well and without any of the severe consequences associated with bacterial meningitis, said Dr. Michael Deichen, associate director of Clinical Services for UCF Health Services.
Bacterial meningitis is spread through close contact, mainly through saliva by kissing, sharing food or being coughed on at close range. Anyone living with an infected person may also be infected.
Thirteen students were identified by the university as being close enough to Taylor during the seven days he was contagious to be at risk of contracting the infection. The Health Center is providing a free antibiotic to all students who believe they could have been infected.
"If you've had close contact, it's in your best interest to get the antibiotic," Deichen said at a press conference Thursday.
Typical symptoms include high fever, confusion and neck stiffness, which can develop over the course of several hours or as much as two days.
The Health Center will be distributing the antibiotic for free through Feb. 4, until the potential time of exposure passes.
Taylor, a business major, lives in Tower 4 at Knights Plaza. He attended only two classes on campus during the time he was contagious, both were on Jan. 24: cinema survey from 1:30-4:20 p.m. in the Visual Arts Building and fundamentals of technical presentation from 6-7:15 p.m. in the Communications Building.
Deichen said it is difficult to transmit meningitis and that the bacteria cannot survive very long outside of the human body.
"The vast majority of cases of meningitis are sporadic," Deichen said.
Nevertheless, he said, "We are going to err on the side of giving the antibiotic" to those who request it.
Taylor is the second UCF student to contract meningitis this semester.
Taryn Kelly, a resident of Pegasus Landing, was also hospitalized with meningitis bacteria.
Deichen said that Kelly is in good condition and recovering from the illness. Kelly plans to take the semester off to recuperate, Deichen said.
These two cases of meningitis are unrelated, Deichen said, and the university has received confirmation from Orange County Public Health officials.
"At this point, there is no evidence that this is an outbreak," he said.
The Florida Board of Governors is proposing to bolster meningitis prevention at public universities by requiring all incoming students as of July 1 to show proof of vaccination for meningitis or sign a waiver. The proposal must be approved by public hearing.
Bill Edmonds, director of communications for the board, said that hearing could happen as soon as March, though a solid date has not been set.
The decision to require only new students to be vaccinated came after discussions with health officials from Florida universities suggested that meningitis was too rare to require all students to receive a shot, Edmonds said. However, in about four years, every student of a public university in Florida will have to either be inoculated or officially opt out.
"We hope that all students will be vaccinated because, even though meningitis is rare, it is potentially fatal," Edmonds said.
Deichen said he supports a policy change.
Ellie Levine, a sophomore, religious studies major, is a resident of Tower 4. She said that she and her roommates first found out about Taylor's illness through information passed out by resident assistants.
"We happened to see a blinding light outside of our window," Levine said, "and it turned out to be three news stations."
They spent the evening receiving further information from the local news.
"I was kinda shocked that anyone could get meningitis," Levine said.
She said she was under the impression entering college that admission required a student to prove he had been inoculated. She said she hopes the board's meningitis policy will be approved.
"I agree with that policy," she said. "I see no reason why not to get [inoculated]."
However, the shot available protects against only four out of the five types of bacterial meningitis.
"Even if you get the vaccine," Deichen said, "it's not a guarantee that you're protected."
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