Widener University Student Diagnosed With Viral Meningitis

Officials at Widener University say one of their students has contracted viral meningitis.

The student is a cadet in the Chester, Pa. school's ROTC program and in their junior year, officials said. They are recovering off-campus.

The university sent a campus-wide email to students, faculty and staff on Friday afternoon notifying them of the diagnosis.

In the email, obtained by NBC10.com, officials say there are no other reported cases.

Viral meningitis is a less severe form of the disease, which causes inflammation in the membranes around the brain and spinal cord, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Being a virus, this form of the disease cannot be treated with antibiotics. The CDC says the symptoms of nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light, headache and a stiff neck will usually subside in seven to 10 days.

In rare cases, the infection can develop into a more serious form of the disease, according to the CDC.

A rare strain of bacterial meningitis claimed the life of a sophomore sorority member at Drexel University earlier this month. The strain, named "serogroup B," was linked to an outbreak at Princeton University last March.

Widener officials are reminding students and staff to take extra precautions like washing hands often and avoiding close contact with others while sick.

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