Few specific details are available, but state and local health officials have confirmed a recently-diagnosed case of bacterial meningitis in Crawford County.

County health officials said the patient was diagnosed last week, but they didn’t identify or describe the person.

A Pennsylvania Health Department spokeswoman said the state has been notified. She indicated officials have identified people who had close contact with the patient and have told them about preventive treatment, but said no other information specific to the case could be released.

According to the department, there were 227 cases of bacterial meningitis in Pennsylvania in 2007, including one in Crawford County.

Bacterial meningitis is a rare but contagious and potentially deadly inflammation of the linings of the brain and spinal cord. It’s most often spread among young people through close personal contact, such as kissing or sharing utensils, with an infected individual.

The time between exposure and actual infection with symptoms can be as short as four hours, according to medical professionals, so it’s imperative for anyone who shows symptoms to quickly seek medical treatment.

Some of the most common symptoms of bacterial meningitis include high fever, stiff neck, nausea, severe headache, rash, muscle ache, confusion, inactivity and irritability.

Anyone exhibiting possible symptoms of the disease should immediately contact a health-care provider.