A first-year student at Acadia University in Wolfville, N.S., has died after a suspected case of meningitis. The death comes less than a week after a high school student in Sackville, N.S., died of the illness, as well.

The Acadia student, who was originally from Ontario, was found unconscious on Saturday and rushed to hospital. She died the next day.

Public health officials are working to determine whether the student died of bacterial meningitis and, if so, what strain.

That will allow them to figure out if the two deaths are connected.

Rylee Sears, a Grade 10 student at Sackville High School, died of meningitis last Monday.

Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia’s chief public health officer, said rare events can sometimes occur around the same time for no reason other than chance.

“I’ve been around in public health for a long time, and sometimes things happen (in) close proximity and time,” Strang told reporters Monday.

As health officials investigate the two cases, grief counsellors and public health officials were at the Acadia campus on Monday to assist students and staff.

“I have been in touch with our student’s family and have expressed our deepest sympathy,” Acadia president Ray Ivany told reporters. “As you would expect the campus is in mourning.”

Callie Lathem, the president of the Acadia students’ union, told reporters that they are helping get information out to students to alleviate their concerns.

“And additionally, they need the emotional support right now,” Lathem said.

Anyone who came in close contact with the student will be given antibiotics and offered a vaccine.

Bacterial meningitis ‘the one we worry about’

Officials said the general Acadia university population is not at an increased risk following the student’s death. However, anyone concerned about contracting meningitis should know that the best defence is good hygiene, including hand-washing. Because the illness is spread through saliva or mucus, people should avoid sharing water bottles or utensils.

The viral type of meningitis typically resolves on its own, laboratory researcher Dr. Todd Hatchette told CTV Atlantic. However, bacterial meningitis “is the one we worry about, because bacterial causes generally much more severe illness and can be fatal,” he said.

Meningitis can be tricky to diagnose because of its relatively non-specific symptoms that can resemble the flu: fever, stiff neck and headache.

Those at greatest risk of developing meningitis are infants, teens and young adults, and the elderly. If anyone with a compromised immune system gets the bacteria into their bloodstream, it can get into the lining of the brain.

Sears ‘loved’ hockey

It could be days or weeks before scientists determine whether Sears and the Acadia student’s cases of meningitis are linked.

On Sunday, Sears' family, friends and hockey teammates on the Sackville Flyers Midget "B" team gathered once again to play the game he loved.

Rylee's dad, Kevin Sears, who is the team's assistant coach, was also there to support the players who are mourning his son.

"He loved the game," Sears told CTV Atlantic. "He did love his dad being on the bench, I will say that. But as you will ask all these players, all 17 of them are mine -- not just him."

The Sackville Flyers decided to host a game with the Flyers' two midget teams Sunday, to remember Rylee and support his family.

"We just want to do something for the family, just to show our appreciation for the family," said head coach Bruce Pasher.

The game was also a form of therapy for the team, to help them get back in the game without Rylee, whose death came as a shock to many of the players.

Fellow assistant coach Todd Bedard says the team was glad to see the elder Sears at the practice.

"Kevin really is the glue on this team. The guys will tell you Kevin is the tough guy who can be the disciplinarian, but he's also the guy that they all love," he said.

Before the boys left the practice, they gathered around Sears, to give him a hug.

Kevin Sears said it will be hard to return to coaching without his son but he will always treasure the time he got to spend behind the bench with him.

"I got to enjoy it with him. I got to enjoy what he loved to do with him. And not a lot of fathers and parents can say that.

With a report from CTV Atlantic's Kelland Sundahl and Rick Grant