A UW-Madison student from Minnesota has died from a rare case of bacterial meningitis. Officials at Madison’s Meriter hospital confirmed Thursday that 21-year-old Henry Mackaman of St. Paul, MN died, after his family removed him from life support.
Mackaman was a senior majoring in economics and English.
Meningococcal meningitis is caused by a common bacteria in the noses and throats of individuals. University officials say it’s not a highly contagious condition and there was no reason to believe that Mackaman’s disease posed a health risk to the campus in general.
About 3,000 cases of meningococcal meningitis are reported in the US each year. Of those, about ten to 13 percent of the patients die.
Chandra Lynn, WIBA