A 22-year-old junior who lived off-campus died Tuesday afternoon from complications related to meningococcal meningitis, but health officials say the threat to students and faculty of contracting the disease is small.

Amber Krenz, an environmental and public health major who lived with her family at S7465 Crestview Court, became sick Monday and was admitted to Sacred Heart Hospital that night after she developed a high fever. She died the following day.

Only those who had close contact with Krenz are at risk of becoming infected, said Dr. Robert Noyce, an infectious disease expert at Luther-Midelfort.

Meningitis is not spread through the air, he said. It is contracted through respiratory and saliva secretions such as drinking from the same glass, eating from the same utensils, kissing or sharing cigarettes, he said.

“We really don’t think anyone on campus is at risk for this disease,” said Dr. Richard Kark, a physician at Health Services and president of the Eau Claire City-County Board of Health.

Because Krenz only spent a couple of hours each day on campus attending class, the likelihood that students or faculty could have contracted the disease is low, Kark said.

This type of meningitis is an inflammation of the membranes around the brain and spinal cord, according to the American College Health Association. About 3,000 Americans contract the disease each year, and 10 to 15 percent of those infected die, according to the association. The association estimates that 100 to 125 cases of meningococcal meningitis occur each year on college campuses and 5 to 15 students die.

Between 40 and 60 cases of the disease are seen in Wisconsin each year, according to the state’s division of public health. This is the second case in Eau Claire County this year, said Kitty Rahl, director of nursing for the Eau Claire City-County Health Department. The other case was not fatal.

About 12 people close to Krenz have been referred to doctors to seek antibiotic treatment, Rahl said.

Symptoms of meningitis include a rash, sore neck, headache., fever and vomiting. Meningitis vaccines are available at Health Services at a cost of $70, but Kark said vaccines are not necessary at this time. The vaccine is given as a shot, and is effective for about three years, Kark said.