A 20-year-old male U.S. Naval Academy midshipman is in the hospital for possible bacterial meningitis, and two dozen other midshipmen are being treated for possible exposure.
The fourth-class or freshman midshipman was rushed Wednesday night to the Baltimore Washington Medical Center in Glen Burnie. The academy would not release the name or hometown of the midshipman.
Meningitis is the infection of the spinal cord or the fluid that surrounds the brain. The bacterial form of meningitis can cause brain damage.
“The Naval Academy is deeply concerned for this midshipman, and we are doing everything possible to ensure he has the best medical care available. We continue to monitor his condition,” academy officials said in a written statement.
Meanwhile, 24 midshipmen who lived close to the possibly infected midshipman were provided prophylactic antibiotics in hopes of stopping the spread of the illness that is contagious through personal contact, academy officials said. – Jason Flanagan
For more on meningitis, visit the Centers for Disease Control’s Web site: www.cdc.gov/meningitis/bacterial/faqs.htm
