Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, February 5, 1994                   TAG: 9402050197
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Andrea Kuhn STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LEXINGTON                                LENGTH: Medium

NO NEW INFECTIONS ON W&L CAMPUS

Tyler Duvall, a junior guard for the Generals, remained in the intensive care unit at the University of Virginia Hospital in Charlottesville with meningococcemia, a bloodstream form of the infection that causes meningitis.

Judy Lowe, Duvall's mother, said her son's condition had improved slightly.

"He's alert and has a lot of antibiotics dripping into him, but he's fairly comfortable," Lowe said.

Lowe said Duvall, a native of Bethesda, Md., might be moved out of intensive care soon and would remain hospitalized for about another week.

Brian Shaw, W&L's director of communications, said the team's scheduled home game tonight against Eastern Mennonite would be played if no more cases of the infection surfaced. A decision will be made this morning.

The university posted a health notice Wednesday encouraging anyone with flulike symptoms or who had been in close, personal contact with Duvall to be examined.

David Copeland, a university doctor, said an above-average number of patients had been seen Friday. Copeland estimated that half the students who came to the infirmary were concerned about possible contact with Duvall.

"Some of them were people who had sat next to [Duvall] in class or watched TV with him or something," Copeland said. "We're trying to follow the guidelines [for treatment] - four or more hours of contact in the past five to seven days. A casual acquaintance of Tyler's would not be at high risk."

The student health center gave 39 people antibiotics as a precaution. Copeland said the patients were taking the drug Risampan twice a day for two days.

The Generals were in Norfolk on Wednesday preparing for a game against Virginia Wesleyan when they were told of Duvall's condition. Robert Miggins, a senior on the team, said the team's initial reaction was shock.

"Some of the guys were concerned for our own health, but once those tensions eased, our thoughts were with [Duvall]."

Meningococcal infection can cause meningitis, a potentially fatal inflammation of the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord. The symptoms include a rash, sore throat, muscle and joint aches, fever, chills and headache.