Two gay men died last week of meningitis in Toronto, Ontario (Canada), and others may have been exposed to the disease, Toronto Public Health (TPH) announced May 18. The deaths prompted the agency to issue an alert to the local gay community.

Meningitis is an infection of the fluid around the spinal cord and brain, and is spread through the exchange of respiratory and throat secretions.

The men died from a highly contagious bacterial strain, called meningococcal meningitis, on May 15 and 17. They frequently visited local gay nightclubs and bathhouses, and may have exposed others to the disease through kissing and sharing food, drinks and cigarettes, according to public health officials.

In its alert, TPH urged anyone who visited a Toronto-area bathhouse since May 1 to see a doctor and to watch for symptoms of the disease, which include high fever, headache, stiff neck, nausea, vomiting, discomfort when looking into bright lights, confusion, sleepiness and seizures. Symptoms can develop over several hours, or they may take one to two days.

Over this past weekend, around 20 people received preventative treatment for meningitis at Toronto's Hassle Free Clinic, which serves the LGBT community, Mary Margaret Crapper, a spokesperson for TPH, told GayHealth.com. Fortunately, as of May 22, the city has not seen a rise in the number of meningitis cases. "This is not an outbreak," Crapper stressed.

The TPH put up posters in Toronto-area bathhouses and nightclubs to alert the public and encourage those who need treatment to get it. If you think you have meningitis, go immediately to your doctor or nearest emergency room. Bacterial meningitis can be treated with antibiotics, but early treatment is essential.