The case of a high school student in King County who was hospitalized and died this week of meningococcal disease – commonly called bacterial meningitis – has created some public concern about risks of exposure to the disease.
"Meningococcal disease is spread by prolonged close contact," said State Epidemiologist for Communicable Disease, Jo Hofmann, M.D. "The risk, even for people who have been in contact with this young man, is low."
The high school student was a football player who participated in a football practice at Bothell High School on July 5, 2004, and became ill after practice. He also attended a football camp at Eastern Washington University June 26-30. The investigation shows that only a few players – all from his team – were identified as close contacts, and players from other teams are not at risk.
The young man is believed to have had close contact with 15 people while he was infectious. The Department of Health is working with Public Health — Seattle and King County have notified the close contacts of the student, and they are receiving antibiotics as a precaution. Close contacts are considered housemates or family members; those who have shared eating, drinking, or smoking materials; and those who have had intimate contact with an infected individual within seven days of the onset of symptoms of the infected person.