LOWER LAKE >> A case of bacterial meningitis, a rare but serious and contagious disease, has been reported at Lower Lake High School after concerns a student contracted the illness.
Approximately 50-60 others students and school staff are being advised to take medication against the sometimes fatal disease, the Lake County Record-Bee has learned. According to a source close to the case, two other students were tested with results negative.
Lake County Public Health Director Dr. Karen Tate said through a spokesperson Monday afternoon that she could confirm only that the department had received a report of a possible case of bacterial meningitis and is currently investigating it.
Tate also said the county has taken “precautionary steps” to address a potential outbreak although she did not give details of these steps. She also could not yet say how many persons are under observation following possible exposure.
One main reason the department is unable to state definitively that there is a case of bacterial meningitis in the county is because it is waiting for further lab results, which generally take a few days.
“There is no reason for the public to be alarmed,” Tate added.
She said that as soon as she has more definitive information, she will issue a press release on the situation.
“When a meningococcal disease outbreak is identified, the lead in carrying out a public health response is the local health department,” California Department of Public Health spokesperson Carlos Villatoro said. “The role of CDPH is to assist the local health department, as requested, by providing laboratory testing support as well as guidance on outbreak control, including post-exposure prophylaxis (preventative treatment) and immunization against meningococcal disease if warranted.”
LLHS is part of the Konocti Unified School District (KUSD) and serves students from Clearlake and Lower Lake. Telephone messages to the LLHS principal’s office, the district superintendent’s office, and the KUSD’s Konocti Wellness Center, were not returned by press time Monday.
Meningitis is most commonly caused by either a virus, bacteria or fungus. There are three primary types of bacterial meningitis: meningococcal, pneumococcal or HIB (Haemophilus influenzae type b).
Bacterial meningitis is a rare and an extremely dangerous condition that can sometimes be fatal, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It is also a fast moving disease and persons infected can show symptoms in as soon as a few hours to a day or two after exposure. The average time for symptoms to show up is 3-7 days after exposure.
The persons at greatest risk for the disease are children and teenagers which is why the CDC recommends children be vaccinated at age 11 or 12 with a vaccine that protects against four of the five major subgroups (A, C, W and Y). The CDC recommends a booster at age 16,
In 2015, a vaccine for subgroup B was recommended by the CDC at ages 16-18. Two or three doses of a subgroup B meningococcal vaccine are needed, depending on the brand, and the same brand must be used for all doses.
The disease is contracted by 600 to 1,000 people each year in the United States and of those, 10-15 percent will die and another 20 percent will have permanent disabilities, including brain damage, hearing loss, kidney disease, learning disabilities and limb amputation, CDC statistics show.
According to the CDC. state and local health departments should take the lead in investigating outbreaks and implementing control measures to reduce the spread of the disease and often work closely with CDC
Education efforts should be initiated by local public health agencies as soon as an outbreak of the disease is suspected, the CDC recommends.
Often the disease occurs in clusters or outbreaks, as happened in Chicago in 2015. The onset of an outbreak is unpredictable and the outcomes can be emotionally devastating to affected communities and organizations, reports the CDC.
Outbreaks can occur in communities, schools, colleges, prisons and other populations. An outbreak occurs when there are multiple cases of the same strain or subgroup, also called a serogroup, in a community or institution over a short period of time. Depending on the size of the institution, having just two cases of the same strain may be considered an outbreak, according to the CDC.
The bacteria that cause the disease are contagious but are not spread by casual contact or in the air. It is spread through the exchange of respiratory secretions (including mucus and saliva) during close contact such as kissing or coughing on someone.
It can also be spread through sharing such items as a bottle of water, drink or cigarette, and through sex, according to the Chicago Department of Health. Chicago had a “cluster” of bacterial meningitis cases in 2015 among gay men.
Although meningococcal bacteria are very dangerous, they cannot live outside the body for very long. This means the infection is not as easily spread as a cold or flu virus, according to the National Meningitis Association (NMA).
About one in ten people carry meningococcal bacteria in their nose or throat without showing any signs or symptoms of the disease. These people can unknowingly transmit the bacteria to others.
Meningococcal bacteria attach to the mucosal lining of the nose and throat where they can multiply and then enter the bloodstream. Once in the bloodstream, the bacteria can swell the lining of the brain and spinal cord. This is called meningitis. They can also poison the blood and cause sepsis, the body’s overwhelming and life-threatening response to an infection which can lead to tissue damage, organ failure and death.
Symptoms of bacterial meningitis usually starts with the sudden onset of a fever, headache and stiff neck. Other signs include nausea, vomiting, an increased sensitivity to light and confusion. Later symptoms can be more severe and include seizures and coma.
Bacterial meningitis is diagnosed through testing either blood or spinal fluid samples. Also, testing reveals the specific type of bacteria that is causing the infection, which can aid in treatment. Unfortunately, it is not easy for healthcare professionals to identify and diagnose the infection in its early stages.
The sooner treatment begins, the better the prognosis. Treatment usually consists of a regimen of antibiotics.
When someone is diagnosed with meningococcal disease, close contacts of that person are usually given antibiotics as a preventive measure. Close contacts include people living in the same household or anyone who comes into direct contact with a patient’s saliva such as a boyfriend or girlfriend, according to the NMA.
The best prevention is to get vaccinated which is recommended by the CDC and NMA.
