Health officials at the Colorado State University are using antibiotics and vaccines to help protect students from contracting meningococcal bacteria, after a 23-year-old student died when the bacteria infected her bloodstream.

"It's just a horrible tragedy that everybody worries that could happen to their young college kids. And of course you want to prevent an outbreak," said Dr. William Kimble, who works in the emergency room of Memorial Hospital.

Christina Adame's death was followed by the hospitalization of another CSU student, but he has viral meningitis, which Dr. Kimble says is a separate condition and far less serious.

In either case, these students are in a high-risk group for catching infections diseases.

"It's young, healthy people that die, and it's terrible and tragic. I guess there's concern that it could be an outbreak, but it's not an outbreak yet," said Dr. Kimble.

Doctors say Adame contracted the meningococcal bacteria, and it invaded her bloodstream, causing a deadly sepsis called Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome.

"The meningococcal bacteria could be sitting in your nose and throat and not cause you any symptoms, and that's probably how it gets passed around from asymptomatic carriers," said Dr. Kimble. He added that once that bacteria does enter the bloodstream, it can be deadly.

For another CSU student now in the hospital, doctors say he has viral meningitis, which is a different condition from meningococcal bacteria.

"It is a point of confusion because the name of the bacteria and the name of the infection are so similar."

And since the hospitalized CSU student's meningitis is viral, he should be okay. Bacterial meningitis, however, would have been cause for concern.

Dr. Kimble explained, "Viral meningitis, you're going to feel terrible, but you're going to get well. Bacterial meningitis, that's when it's dangerous, and could damage your brain, and you could potentially die from it."

Students at CSU, are in a high-risk group for the spreading of the meningococcal bacteria. Other high-risk groups include athletic teams or members of the military who share close quarters.

Viral infections are not as serious, and there are no preventative measures. But there are ways doctors say you can prevent a bacterial infection.

Childhood immunizations can help prevent bacterial meningitis. And there is a vaccine that can help protect you from meningococcal bacteria.

Doctors recommend you get that vaccine if you're in one of those high-risk groups, or if you're traveling to a place where the bacterial infection is a common illness.