When someone gets meningitis, typically no one else gets sick. That's not the case in Appleton, where three high school students have confirmed cases of the disease.
Appleton Public Health director Kurt Eggebrecht says it's been nearly a decade since more than one person has contracted the disease at the same time. On average, there are 34 cases of Meningitis each year in Wisconsin.
The disease is spread through direct intimate contact. People generally do not get Meningitis through casual contact.
Eggebrecht says the three students at North were at a social gathering outside of school, and that's how they think the disease spread. He says they may have had saliva contact while sharing a bowl of frosting. All three are being treated with antibiotics.
