The ISU student infected with meningitis is in serious condition at Mary Greeley Medical Center, a hospital spokesperson said.The student was admitted Wednesday to Mary Greeley, 1111 Duff Ave., and his condition was upgraded Friday from critical to serious.Another ISU student has been diagnosed with meningiococcemia, a bacterial infection in the blood stream, said John McCarroll, director of University Relations. The student was in close contact with the student infected with meningitis, McCarroll said.”This student did live in close proximity with the student who had meningitis, but the second student does not have meningitis,” he said.McCarroll said the second student was not admitted to the hospital but was administered antibiotic treatment on an outpatient basis.Meningiococcemia is an infection of the blood stream from the same bacteria that causes meningitis, said Marc Shulman, staff physician at the Student Health Center.”It’s the same bacteria that causes meningitis, but it affects the blood stream but not the brain,” Shulman said. “There is one case that we know of.”Meningitis is an infection of the fluid surrounding the spinal cord and the brain. Meningitis is spread by respiratory droplets through close contact such as sharing drinks or eating utensils or kissing, Shulman said.Meningitis can escalate from a severe fever to death. According to the Center for Disease Control, appropriate antibiotic treatment of most common types of bacterial meningitis should reduce the risk of dying from meningitis to below 15 percent.Shulman said symptoms for meningiococcemia are similar to meningitis or the flu, including fever, headache, rash and sensitivity to light. He said the bacteria in the blood could infect the fluid in the brain and spinal cord.”Usually it’s not as severe in the bloodstream, but it can be,” Shulman said.He said the only way to determine whether it is meningitis or meningiococcemia is through a spinal tap. Both are treated by antibiotics.McCarroll said anyone who was thought to have been in close contact with the student infected with meningitis was given a preventive antibiotic, Cipro.Since the meningitis incident was first reported, several students have made inquiries with the Student Health Center. The meningitis vaccine is available for $77 at the ISU Student Health Center, and appointments can be made by calling 294-5801.For more information about meningitis visit the Student Health Center Web site at www.public.iastate.edu/~health/Pages.”We had a fair number of phone calls and people coming by,” Shulman said. “We’re still happy to answer anybody’s questions.”