Public Radio for the Piedmont and High Country
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Elon Student Has Confirmed Case Of Meningitis

Photo courtesy of Elon University.

The Alamance County Health Department says it has been notified of a confirmed case of meningitis in an Elon University student.

The university alerted students and employees Wednesday morning.

Alamance County Health Director Stacie Saunders says that as a precaution, the university and county health department have identified the student's high-risk contacts and reached out to other contacts to provide preventative treatment.

No other cases have been identified.

Meningitis is an irritation of the covering of the brain and spinal cord. It can be caused by a virus or bacteria, and can be spread by direct contact with saliva.

Meningitis can be fatal in some cases. Health officials say it's considered a particularly dangerous infection because of the very delicate nature of the brain, and how easily the disease can spread throughout the body.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Neal Charnoff joined 88.5 WFDD as Morning Edition host in 2014. Raised in the Catskill region of upstate New York, he graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in 1983. Armed with a liberal arts degree, Neal was fully equipped to be a waiter. So he prolonged his arrested development bouncing around New York and L.A. until discovering that people enjoyed listening to his voice on the radio. After a few years doing overnight shifts at a local rock station, Neal spent most of his career at Vermont Public Radio. He began as host of a nightly jazz program, where he was proud to interview many of his idols, including Dave Brubeck and Sonny Rollins. Neal graduated to the news department, where he was the local host for NPR's All Things Considered for 14 years. In addition to news interviews and features, he originated and produced the Weekly Conversation On The Arts, as well as VPR Backstage, which profiled theater productions around the state. He contributed several stories to NPR, including coverage of a devastating ice storm. Neal now sees the value of that liberal arts degree, and approaches life with the knowledge that all subjects and all art forms are connected to each other. Neal and his wife Judy are enjoying exploring North Carolina and points south. They would both be happy to never experience a Vermont winter again.

Support quality journalism, like the story above,
with your gift right now.

Donate