Health officials identify meningitis strain that killed Montreal student

Montreal's public health agency has learned more about the meningococcal infection that killed an 18-year-old woman last weekend and said precautions have been taken to protect others.

It issued a statement Tuesday saying that the Marianopolis College student died after contracting a Serogroup B meningococcal infection.

Public Health has evaluated 100 people it identified as being close contacts of the woman and has given them preventive treatments, including the Bexsero vaccine.

The Bexsero vaccine protects against this Serogroup B.

According to the agency, close contacts are defined as:

• People living under the same roof.
• People who have had sexual contact with the person concerned.
• People who have been in direct contact with respiratory secretions of the person affected (deep kissing or mouth-to-mouth).

Hugging and sharing a glass or bottle with the infected person are not considered close contacts.

Dr. Lavanya Narasiah, a spokesperson for the Montreal's public health agency, said in an interview it is not clear where the 18-year-old contracted the disease.

Meningitis is an infection of the tissue around the brain and spinal cord. It can be caused by a virus, by fungus or by bacteria, and it is usually spread the way other winter illnesses are spread through secretions from the nose and mouth.