A college freshman at San Diego State University died from highly infectious bacterial meningitis on Thursday after spending the weekend partying with sorority sisters, where she came in close contact with 400 people.
On Tuesday, Sara Selzer experienced flu-like symptoms and was admitted to the hospital, where she was immediately placed on life support. The teen had previously been vaccinated for meningitis, so the meningitis bacteria that she contracted was likely a variant strain.
According to the Daily Mail, the 18-year-old had complained two weeks ago on her Twitter account that every freshman student at her school appeared to be sick. “I would be shocked to meet a freshman at state who doesn’t at least have a cold,” she tweeted. The Mail reported that the time it takes for the onset of symptoms from the time you have been exposed to the disease can be between two and 10 days.
ABC10 reported that San Diego State plans to test 300 to 400 people who may have had contact with Selzer, who spent last weekend doing pledge activities at her new sorority, Kappa Delta.
Dr. Wilma Wooten, the county’s public health officer, said that Meningococcal disease is generally spread through “close contact” with a person infected by the disease. Yet, she contends, “While meningococcal disease can be serious and deadly, it is not spread through casual contact. Therefore, the risk to those who were not in close, direct contact is minimal.”
Dr. Gregg Lichtenstein, director of SDSU Student Health Services and director of clinical services asserted, “This is what we call a droplet infection, so that means people have to have close contact with respiratory secretions.”
With a nation weary from health officials saying that people can’t catch various diseases from certain types of human contact, i.e. Amber Joy Vinson, who contracted Ebola in a full Hazmat suit, we will have to wait and see what the outcome of all this will be.
Breitbart News will continue to follow the 300-400 people tested and will be monitoring developments closely.
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