A Texas A&M University student was hospitalized after being diagnosed with bacterial meningitis, campus officials announced Wednesday.

University administrators said they were notified by a local hospital on Tuesday. Officials would not release the name or the health status of the student, but said the student's classmates and professors had been directly notified. It was not clear if that was by phone or in a letter.

No other cases have been reported, university officials said.

Meningitis is a potentially deadly infection of the fluid that surrounds the spinal cord and brain, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The bacterial form is contagious and can cause brain damage, hearing loss and learning disabilities.

The infection can be spread directly through kissing or sharing a drink or cigarette with an infected person or through indirect contact such as coughing and sneezing, according to information provided by the university. Symptoms include high fever, headache and a stiff neck.

Student who think they have been exposed are encouraged to go to Student Health Services, administrators said. Free antibiotics will be given to those who are deemed to be at risk.

As a preventative for future exposure, vaccinations for students are available at Student Health Services for $105. Faculty and staff should contact their local doctors for information.

Anyone with questions should call the Dean of Student Life office at 1-888-440-7345 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.; after that, dial a nurse at 979-458-8379.

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