An Iowa State University senior who reported he felt ill died at the Ames hospital Tuesday evening after friends took him to the emergency room. I.S.U. Dean of Students, Dione Summerville, says the student was 22-year-old Travis James Good of Omaha.
“We have preliminary confirmation that bacterial meningitis is the cause and that will be confirmed by the state hygienic lab,” Sommerville says. Somerville says the have taken steps to ensure other students are not at risk. She says they are working with the students who were in the most direct contact with Good, and giving them information about how bacterial meningitis is spread.
Sommerville says those students who were in close contact with Good will get an antibiotic. Meningitis is an infection of the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord and Meningitis bacteria are spread through droplets from the nose and throat and from saliva.
Sommerville says they are also helping students who feel distressed after the death of a classmate. Sommerville says they never want anything to happen to students, and when a student dies it is a tragic situation for the family, fellow students and the university community.
Signs of meningitis include high fever, headache, rash and/or stiff neck. Other symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, discomfort when looking into bright lights, confusion and sleepiness. Anyone who experiences these symptoms should seek immediate medical attention.