No New Cases Of Bacterial Meningitis Surface At Springdale School
Parents notified, some students are taking antibiotics as precaution
Last updated Thursday, December 4, 2008 7:49 PM CST in News
By Rose Ann Pearce
THE MORNING NEWS
SPRINGDALE -- No new cases of bacterial meningitis have surfaced at Har-Ber High School or in Washington County since a teen girl was taken to Arkansas Children's Hospital on Monday.
At least 50 parents of Har-Ber students who came into close contact with the infected student have been contacted by Principal Danny Brackett since the school received information Wednesday from the Arkansas Health Department.
Some of the parents opted to take their teenagers to private physicians to begin a round of preventive antibiotics, said Barbara Ludwig, the nursing director for the Springdale School District.
A voice message also was transmitted to parents of all students at Har-Ber on Wednesday night, alerting them to the situation.
The school district and the Washington County Health Department believe all the parents of students who were in close contact with the girl Monday morning have been notified by Brackett.
Health officials identified close and prolonged contact as those students within 6 feet of the infected student for a class period. Students who passed the infected student in the hallways or other common areas at the school were not determined to be in immediate contact or at risk.
The girl, who was taken to the Little Rock hospital Monday, was at school Monday morning but left during the school day. The girl's name has not been released by the school district or health officials because of federal privacy laws.
It is not known if the girl is responding to treatment or whether she is improving.
Bacterial meningitis can be treated effectively with antibiotics if diagnosed early.
A preventive vaccine, Menactra, is available for people from age 11 to 55, according to the state Health Department. The vaccine is recommended for high school age students and is available at county health units, said Ed Barham, public information officer.
Rick Johnson, the director of the Washington County Health Department, said the communicative disease division received some calls on Wednesday from parents asking questions about the disease.
AT A GLANCE
Bacterial Meningitis
Symptoms
Symptoms of bacterial meningitis can be severe and may result in brain damage, hearing loss, learning disability. Symptoms of the disease can include:
• Fever
• Headache
• Stiff neck
• Confusion
• Seizure
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Discomfort looking into bright lights
• Sleepiness
How The Disease Is Spread
Some forms of bacterial meningitis are contagious, spread through the exchange of respiratory and throat secretions, such as coughing or kissing. The bacteria is not spread by casual contact or by breathing the air where a person with meningitis has been.
What Parents Can Do
If symptoms occur, parents should contact their physicians immediately. Early diagnosis and treatment are very important.
Parents can also consider having their children, ages 11 and older, vaccinated to protect their children from developing forms of the disease. More information is available at county health units.
Source: Centers for Disease Control, Arkansas Health Department
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