SANTA BARBARA, Calif., Dec. 5 (UPI) -- The University of California, Santa Barbara, is taking extreme precautions after four of its students contracted meningitis, officials say.
The infected students became ill during a three-week span in November, KNBC-TV, Los Angeles, reported.
One of the four, 18-year-old freshman lacrosse player Aaron Loy, had to have both of his feet amputated on Nov. 20 after the bacterial infection affected the blood supply to his limbs.
The school's lacrosse team helped raise funds for Loy's recovery.
"With Aaron's passionate drive and competitive spirit, we are confident that he will return to UCSB and resume his athletic lifestyle as quickly as possible," his friends and family said on a CaringBridge donation website.
In an effort to prevent more students from becoming infected, the school has provided antibiotics to more than 500 students who had come into contact with the four infected students, school officials said Monday.
