Meningitis outbreak in our small town
 

Seems our small town of 40k has been hit with a bad meningitis outbreak lately. 5 reported cases and one death so far.

The death was very sad. A 12-year-old boy told his mother he felt ill and she let him stay home from school...alone. Apparently he died sometime during the day - all alone. His mother discovered him when she got home from work.

His mother works with my wife at the same company here in town. Kinda' hits close to home. :(

that's terrible to hear dude. your government health workers should do something about it.

Its spreading a bit this year - Brooklyn (NY) has one going on, Baton Rouge had one last month and North Car has one - you'd think theyd just give everybody the vaccination as its pretty good at preventing it - but I know NYC has already had 5 deaths this year from it and the student at UL in Louisiana that died.

that sucks, time to break out the bio suit

http://alicatspjz.fcpages.com/photog...12keyssnow.jpg
http://www.amg.gda.pl/~gregorio/cine...k/12monkbg.jpg

Had an 11 year old girl die Friday. Came home from school feeling fine. Started to feel like she had a cold. When she got worse later in the evening, mom took her to the hospital. They said meningitis, and she died within 2 hours.:(

It sure doesn't take long...it can kill within hours.

Only one of our two daughters has her immunization up to date, so we'll play it safe and get the other caught up. My wife's the one I worry about, though...her immune system is wiped out due to the chemo drugs she's on, so she's not able to fight anything.

If its bacterial meningitis then you can go get a shot for that

that's a very serious issue. i hope the experts and authorities are doing something about it.

The symptoms of meningitis are similar for both bacterial and viral forms of the disease. Adults and older children typically experience:

* Fever and chills

* Headache

* Vomiting

* Stiff neck (patient may not be able to curl up in bed with nose to knees)

* Irritability and drowsiness

* Eyes that are sensitive to light

* Delirium and confusion (uncommon)

* Seizures (rare)

* Coma (rare)

Symptoms in infants and young children include:

* Whimpering and crying in a high-pitched tone

* Difficulty in waking and very lethargic when awake

* Fussiness when being held or cuddled

* Arching the back and retracting the neck

* Staring blankly at their surroundings

* Having a high fever and cold hands and feet

* Refusing food

* Vomiting

* Appearing pale or blotchy

Meningococcal meningitis often causes a distinctive rash. This rash is the result of a form of septicemiaAn infection in the bloodstream that results from some cases of meningococcal meningitis. It is characterized by a rash caused by broken blood vessels. (infection in the bloodstream), a potentially fatal condition.

Septicemia occurs when the meningococcus bacteria multiply uncontrollably in the bloodstream. The bacteria release toxins into the blood that break down the walls of the blood vessels, allowing blood to leak into the skin. The leaking causes a characteristic rash, called a hemorrhagic rash. The rash can appear anywhere on the body, including in the eyes and often between the toes.

The rash starts as a cluster of tiny blood spots, which look like pin pricks in the skin. If untreated, these spots gradually grow and become multiple areas of bleeding, resembling fresh bruises under the skin surface. The spots or bruises do not blanch (turn white) when pressed.

http://www.ehealthmd.com/library/men..._symptoms.html