Tampa: A student at University of South Florida (USF) has died after getting infected with bacterial meningitis.
Rachel Futterman, 19-year-old, fell ill on Friday and was admitted into a hospital on the next day, where she was placed on life-support system and later passed away.

Judy Genshaft, USF president, said, “Rachel was our student and part of our family. It has been an emotional weekend, and our hearts and prayers go out to her family and friends. We'll do everything we can to provide counseling and support services to those who need them.”

Lots of pupils who came in direct contact with Rachel were put on strong antibiotic drugs in order to defend them from getting the disease. Rachel did not attend classes late last week when she would have been the most transmissible.

“Cipro--the pill we gave to students over the weekend--is for people who may have had direct contact with someone with bacterial meningitis," said Dr. Terenzi. "The vaccination is a drug called Menactra. It's for long-term protection,” added Judy Genshaft.

Dr. Jennifer Meningall, vice president of Student Affairs said, “Our first reaction to the diagnosis on Saturday was sadness for the student and her family. We were concerned that members of her sorority were okay, both mentally and physically. At the same time, we had to gather all the information we could, identify students who might have had direct contact with the victim, and go the extra mile to alert everyone on campus. Given the size of the university, very few people would have potentially had direct contact, but we felt everyone needed to know so they could take the precautions they believe necessary.”

A memorial service was planned for Monday night at the M-L-K plaza on USF’s Tampa university ground.

Bacterial meningitis is a possibly deadly contagious disease, which hits around 3,000 Americans every year. It’s transmitted t respiratory secretions and by direct contact with an infected person.