A graduate student at Boston University did catch Neisseria meningitidis from an experiment, health officials in the city have confirmed. According to the Boston Globe, genetic analysis matched bacteria from a blood sample provided by the sick student to samples from the lab where he was working.

The globe says the student was working in a relatively low level bio-safety level-2 lab, not a sci-fi, high-tech level-4. Back in 2004 three scientists at the university were infected from their lab, leading the city to clamp down on its regulation and leaving BU with an $8,100 fine.

“It’s well known that people who work in research labs are exposed to the risk of infection,” Thomas Moore, associate provost of BU’s South End medical campus said last month when the infection occurred. “It doesn’t always mean they’re sloppy.’’