Biological Hazard - State of Illinois, [Crawford County] : Meningitis (viral)

Health Center Guidance on Viral Meningitis and Viral Syndromes

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Biological Hazard

USA

State of Illinois, [Crawford County]

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Biological Hazard in USA on Tuesday, 20 October, 2015 at 05:10 (05:10 AM) UTC.

Description More Pittsburg students are staying home than usual, and more students at school are bringing bottled water. These are mainly precautions for the three confirmed reports of viral meningitis in two of district's schools. The three infected students are barred from school until the virus runs its course. And the two schools of the infected students were not disclosed due to confidentiality laws. Janis Goedeke, a health officer with Crawford County, said the three cases of viral meningitis are the only confirmed cases in Crawford County at this time. "The bacterial is much more serious (than the viral) and can be life threatening," Goedeke said, adding "Viral meningitis is very common in the community anyway, and particularly this time of year. This is not an unusual circumstance." Districtwide, as a precaution to reduce potential spreading, water fountains were turned off and a trash bag placed over them on Thursday and Friday - the water fountain prohibitions were lifted this week. On Saturday, Goedeke said the blood samples of the students came back positive for viral meningitis. The results prompted the health department and district to post on Facebook. The district also sent out an automated voice message to parents about the incident. All of the alerts talk about precautions the school is taking and precautions students and parents can take. "The preventative measures are basically the healthy habits that we normally use," said Superintendent of Schools Destry Brown. "Encouraging handwashing, we are going to do more disinfecting every day at the end of the day. We will also have teachers and students using antibacterial wipes to clean desks between classes." Brown said anyone with signs of meningitis - headache, fever or sore neck - should stay home. Brown said "quite a few parents" have decided to keep their students home at this time. Brown said the absentees will not be "unexcused." Brown said there was also a case thought to be Whooping Cough, but the results came back negative. He said the health department is still waiting the results of others tested for Whooping Cough. Biohazard name: Meningitis (viral) Biohazard level: 3/4 Hight Biohazard desc.: Bacteria and viruses that can cause severe to fatal disease in humans, but for which vaccines or other treatments exist, such as anthrax, West Nile virus, Venezuelan equine encephalitis, SARS virus, variola virus (smallpox), tuberculosis, typhus, Rift Valley fever, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, yellow fever, and malaria. Among parasites Plasmodium falciparum, which causes Malaria, and Trypanosoma cruzi, which causes trypanosomiasis, also come under this level. Symptoms:   Status: confirmed

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Meningitis confirmed in Pittsburg

By Michael Stavola
mstavola@morningsun.net

Posted Oct. 19, 2015 at 10:08 PM

Pittsburg, Kan.

More Pittsburg students are staying home than usual, and more students at school are bringing bottled water.

These are mainly precautions for the three confirmed reports of viral meningitis in two of district’s schools. The three infected students are barred from school until the virus runs its course. And the two schools of the infected students were not disclosed due to confidentiality laws. Janis Goedeke, a health officer with Crawford County, said the three cases of viral meningitis are the only confirmed cases in Crawford County at this time.

“The bacterial is much more serious (than the viral) and can be life threatening,” Goedeke said, adding “Viral meningitis is very common in the community anyway, and particularly this time of year. This is not an unusual circumstance.”

Districtwide, as a precaution to reduce potential spreading, water fountains were turned off and a trash bag placed over them on Thursday and Friday – the water fountain prohibitions were lifted this week. On Saturday, Goedeke said the blood samples of the students came back positive for viral meningitis.

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