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Meningitis Drug Scarce in Ohio

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Associated Press

A hospital Sunday temporarily ran out of antibiotics for a meningitis outbreak that caused the deaths of two high school students in a week and left another critically ill.

A line of people waited at Alliance Community Hospital until fresh supplies arrived at midday.

Hospital officials estimated 10,000 people had received the antibiotic since the outbreak began, and as many as 15,000 more would possibly need treatment.

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Beloit West Branch High School students Jonathan Stauffer, 15, and Kelly Coblentz, 16, died recently of the same strain of neisseria meninigitidis. It is spread by close contact, such as drinking out of the same container, health officials said.

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