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Maine CDC Confirms Case Of Meningococcal Disease At Wiscasset School

A case of meningococcal disease in a student at Wiscasset Middle High School has been confirmed by the Maine Centers for Disease Control.

The disease includes meningitis and septicemia, which are infections of the lining of the brain, spinal cord and blood stream.

The CDC says it's not as contagious as the cold or the flu, and the bacteria is spread by person to person through saliva.

State health officials say they are working with school officials and local medical facilities to notify exposed individuals, but that the risk to the public is low. They say immunization is the best way to prevent the disease.