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AAP News Vol. 15 No. 9 September 1999, p. 2 © 1999 American Academy of Pediatrics
The incidence of meningococcal infection in college students was similar to the general population of the same age, according to Maryland study, although students living in dormitories had triple the risk compared to those residing off-campus. Researchers identified 228 cases of meningococcal infection among Maryland residents from 1992 through 1997. Sixty-seven patients were between the ages of 16 and 30: 11 attended a four-year college, three attended a two-year college, three attended colleges outside Maryland, two went to technical schools, 17 attended high school and 31 were not students. The 14 Maryland college students were the subject of further analyses. Researchers found the four-year college students did not have a higher incidence of meningococcal infection than the general population of 18- to 22-year-olds (1.74 vs. 1.44 per 100,000).
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