Roehl_JC
Moderator
People who came into contact with a Wright County toddler who died Saturday of bacterial meningitis and two family members have been identified and are being treated, according to the Wright County Health Department.
A sibling of Brison Coffman, who would have been three Sunday, and an adult family member also contracted meningitis, health department administrator Tracy Hardcastle said.
Both are being treated, as are other people who were in contact with the child, she said.
Absences caused by flu and confirmation that Brison?s sibling contracted meningitis prompted Mansfield school officials to call off classes for today, Hardcastle said.Some of the absences were due to students being kept away from school by worried parents, Hardcastle said.
The district was scheduled to be out for the Thanksgiving holiday starting Wednesday.
Concerned parents have been calling the health department wanting advice on how to avoid infection, Hardcastle said.
Because bacterial meningitis is spread from person to person by saliva in particular, people are being advised to avoid sharing drinking glasses, eating utensils and other items, she said.
Symptoms include high fever, stiff neck, sleepiness, nausea and vomiting and eye pain in bright lights.
People need to contact their primary physician for treatment with antibiotics, Hardcastle said.
In general, bacterial meningitis spreads much more slowly than the common cold, she said.
Fact sheets on bacterial meningitis are available online from the health department at www.wrightcountyhealthdepartment.com.
http://www.news-leader.com/article/...dies-of-bacterial-meningitis-in-Wright-County
A sibling of Brison Coffman, who would have been three Sunday, and an adult family member also contracted meningitis, health department administrator Tracy Hardcastle said.
Both are being treated, as are other people who were in contact with the child, she said.
Absences caused by flu and confirmation that Brison?s sibling contracted meningitis prompted Mansfield school officials to call off classes for today, Hardcastle said.Some of the absences were due to students being kept away from school by worried parents, Hardcastle said.
The district was scheduled to be out for the Thanksgiving holiday starting Wednesday.
Concerned parents have been calling the health department wanting advice on how to avoid infection, Hardcastle said.
Because bacterial meningitis is spread from person to person by saliva in particular, people are being advised to avoid sharing drinking glasses, eating utensils and other items, she said.
Symptoms include high fever, stiff neck, sleepiness, nausea and vomiting and eye pain in bright lights.
People need to contact their primary physician for treatment with antibiotics, Hardcastle said.
In general, bacterial meningitis spreads much more slowly than the common cold, she said.
Fact sheets on bacterial meningitis are available online from the health department at www.wrightcountyhealthdepartment.com.
http://www.news-leader.com/article/...dies-of-bacterial-meningitis-in-Wright-County