Meningitis

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Nearly 450 people have been quarantined at a training academy in Malaysia after meningitis killed one student and sent 19 others to the hospital, an official said Sunday.

Hasan Abdul Rahman, a senior Health Ministry official, said all 334 trainees and 115 staff were quarantined at a traffic officer training academy in southern Malacca state over the weekend.

A trainee in his 20s died from the highly contagious disease Monday, Hasan said. He said the other 19 hospitalized trainees are responding well to the treatment for bacterial meningitis.

He said the situation was under control but that everyone would remain under quarantine for at least five more days. Health officials are also checking on others who have come in contact with the trainees, he said.

Meningitis, which can be caused by a virus or bacteria, is an infection of the fluid that surrounds the spinal cord and brain. Symptoms include fever, headache and joint aches.