Professor’s death not believed linked to Santa Clara meningitis cases

A professor at Argosy University in Alameda died from meningitis recently, a spokeswoman for the Alameda County Public Health Department said Thursday.

However, spokeswoman Sherri Willis said there’s no indication that the professor’s death is linked to a recent cluster of three Santa Clara University students who have been diagnosed with meningococcal infections.

Willis said the health department notified Argosy on Jan. 25 that the professor had died from meningitis.

She said the situation at Argosy is different than the situation at Santa Clara University, where the school has offered antibiotics and vaccines for the rest of the campus community.

Willis said Argosy only has “a tiny campus,” no other cases have been linked to the professor who died and only a small number of students and staff had contact with the professor.

Those people were identified and given medication as a precautionary measure but there isn’t a need to offer antibiotics and vaccines to everyone at the campus, she said.

In addition, the strain of meningitis that the professor had is “completely different” than the strain of meningitis that the Santa Clara University students have, Willis said.

Argosy University officials didn’t respond today to a request for information about the professor who died.

Argosy University is a system of for-profit colleges owned by the Education Management System and has 28 locations in the U.S.