Florida state health officials and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued alerts over the weekend on outbreaks of meningococcal disease, a rare but serious form of meningitis, in Florida. In a release, the Department of Health said the number of cases so far in 2022 has already passed the five-year average of meningococcal disease in Florida. The disease is serious, caused by the Neisseria meningitidis bacteria, although it is not highly contagious and can only be spread over close contact over a period of time such as sharing drinks. “People do not catch the bacteria through casual contact or by breathing air where someone with meningococcal disease has been,” the Health Department advisory said. “It requires close contact over a period of time, or direct contact such as kissing or sharing drinks.” It added that this is a serious disease,” but it noted “these bacteria are not as contagious as …