ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, February 28, 1997 TAG: 9702280051
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG
SOURCE: LISA K. GARCIA STAFF WRITER
A Virginia Tech biology major died early Thursday morning from a blood infection caused by bacteria that can also cause meningitis.
Austin Fox, an 18-year-old sophomore from Orange, exhibited flulike symptoms and was taken to Columbia Montgomery Regional Hospital Wednesday afternoon, according to Dr. Jody Hershey.
Fox was in the hospital less than 11 hours before he died about 12:50 a.m., said Hershey, director of the New River Health District. His temperature was only 101 degrees when he went into the hospital, but he was suffering from fairly severe nausea and vomiting. He also showed signs of respiratory problems, Hershey said.
The university has notified students who may have had close contact with Fox to go to the student health center for an antibiotic.
Elliott Fox, Austin's father, said the family traveled to Blacksburg Wednesday evening and was with Austin when he died. "I've never seen anything like that; it basically shut down his vital organs one by one."
Fox said of his son: "If you put in an order for a child, he would be the one."
The cause of Fox's death is meningococcal disease. Hershey said it is contagious, and manifests itself in two forms: the rarer meningococemia that struck Fox; and meningitis, a more common infection that attacks the central nervous system.
Hershey said February is a classic time to see the bacterial infection strike. It hits sporadically on college campuses during flu season in winter and early spring. Six cases have been reported in the state this year; 66 were reported last year. This is the first case confirmed in the New River Valley, he said.
The incubation period for the bacterium is two to 10 days.
Larry Hincker, university spokesman, said Tech officials worked quickly to notify students who were in contact with Fox. A voice-mail message was left on each resident's phone at Shanks Hall where Fox lived. E-mail messages were also sent, and a residents hall meeting was held Thursday night, Hincker said. Fliers have also been distributed that explain who may be at risk.
Hincker said some students may have already left for Spring Break, which officially begins Saturday.
"Anyone who does not contact us by the end of today [Thursday], we will contact them," he said.
Hershey said the only people at risk are those who lived with Fox, used the same bathroom, kissed him, or shared his eating or drinking utensils. People who shared a class or had casual social interaction would not be at risk, he said.
Anyone who has questions about whether they need treatment should call the student health services at 231-5158, 231-6682 or 231-5313, Hincker said.
Austin Fox was an avid baseball fan who had played varsity ball in high school. He was active in Mt. Zion Methodist Church in Oak Park and was a firefighter for his hometown squad, the Orange Volunteer Fire Company, for the past three years.
A Virginia Military Institute student died from the same type of infection in January 1996. The last similar death in the New River Valley was in August 1996 when a Floyd man died of meningitis.
LENGTH: Medium: 64 lines KEYWORDS: FATALITYby CNB