Meningitis News

Medical Malpractice: Common Errors and Mistakes

2019-08-05T16:13:00.000-07:00

You trust your doctor and other health care professionals to treat you and prevent issues from worsening. If it’s just a regular checkup or you’re undergoing surgery, your doctor’s competency can have a huge impact on your life. Anxiety going into an appointment is normal, and some think that their doctor would not actually let anything happen to them. However, it’s somewhat common for people in the healthcare field to do more additional harm to their patients. Thousands of Americans die every year as a result of medical malpractice. Some medical malpractice errors have a greater chance of happening than others. If you think you might be the victim of medical malpractice, you should contact a specialized lawyer, like a medical malpractice attorney or the best accident attorney in your area.

Anesthesia Errors

Getting anesthesia is something that many people worry about, as there are a few different ways that it can easily go wrong. Some of these anesthesia errors can also cause severe problems. If the amount of anesthesia being given isn’t carefully being monitored, either too much or too little can be administered.

If a patient is given too little anesthesia, it could wear off before the procedure is finished, which would subject patients to an immense amount of pain. Patients who have too little anesthesia won’t be able to speak or move, but they will be able to feel everything going on in their surgery.

Too much anesthesia can also be given by mistake. When a patient gets too much anesthesia, they might experience some small problems like vomiting or a sore throat. Some side effects could be far more severe. This can cause seizures, lifelong physical or mental impairment, brain injuries, and even death. If a doctor isn’t knowledgeable about a patient’s health history before giving anesthesia, they might give it not knowing that it will cause problems with their other medications or health problems.

Birth Injuries

Giving birth can be a stressful time for everyone involved, including the baby. All during a pregnancy, parents are terrified that something may go wrong and harm their baby. Unfortunately for some, the medical staff present at the birth may make a mistake that injure the baby. These could happen on accident, be the cause of misusing medical equipment or result from misdiagnosing a problem earlier. Small birth injuries include scrapes, bruises, and swelling that happens from being born, and can help on their own. Babies might also experience broken bones from going through the birth canal. Some birth injuries could lead to permanent disabilities or might not be present until the baby gets older.

Misdiagnosis

For most medical issues, especially serious ones, you need to be diagnosed by a doctor before anything can be done for it. Because of this, you depend on your doctor’s accuracy to get you the proper care. If something gets misdiagnosed, it can create more complications if left untreated. This could happen innocently as a misunderstanding, as well. A misdiagnosis can also cause you to get treatment for something you don’t have, which could include unnecessary procedures and medications. If you don’t need these, they could harm your health even more. You might feel like you’ve been misdiagnosed, or realize that your treatment plan isn’t improving anything, in which case you should be open with your doctor and talk to them about it.

Prescription Errors

If you’ve been misdiagnosed, you could likely be given the wrong medications, but this can happen even with a proper diagnosis. Doctors might not always take note of what other prescriptions their patients are on and certain medications can become dangerous when they’re taken together. Each patient is different, so they require different dosages, which can be improperly given. Medication that’s being administered in a hospital could also be easily given to the wrong patient.

Surgical Mistakes

When you’re getting surgery, you completely lose control of the situation and have to rely on the surgical staff to keep you safe. Most surgical mistakes are also errors that never should have occurred if it weren’t for someone’s negligence. When surgeons are closing the surgical site, they could leave behind equipment, which could cause an infection and won’t be immediately noticeable to the patient. Doctors could also neglect to monitor a patient and miss signs like internal bleeding. In some cases, the surgeon might even operate on the wrong patient or the wrong body part.

009 - Angela Tiwari Interview | Lifetime of Recovery | Meningitis News

2018-04-02T18:45:00.001-07:00

Angela Tiwari contracted bacterial meningitis after an epidural during the birth of her son in 2009.Fortunately, her son never got sick. Angela is a speech-language pathologist and since meningitis has found it difficult for me to hold down a full-time job because she suffers from chronic headaches, memory loss, concentration problems, mood issues and fatigue.

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Dad's viral post gains worldwide support for daughter fighting infection

2018-01-24T07:25:00.001-08:00

A 10-year-old girl is recovering at Vanderbilt hospital after a freak accident caused her to get a rare infection. But that's just the beginning of her story.

NASHVILLE, TENN. - Hundreds of thousands of people across the world are now joining the movement to 'Pray for Chloe' Clark.

Chloe Clark's father posted a video to Facebook saying that his daughter had spinal meningitis and asked for prayers.

That video has now been shared more than 5,000 times, viewed more than 680,000 times, and support has poured in from all over.

Her father, Jared Clark, has been building a house for his family. On Jan. 11, he was putting decking on the roof when a piece of plywood fell and crashed through a safety barrier.

His 10-year old daughter Chloe had wandered from the area where she was supposed to be playing and walked straight into the falling board's path.

"As soon as I heard the scream I knew we were going to the emergency room, I knew it was bad enough just from the sound," Jared said.

A fast trip to their local hospital showed they would be needing more robust services than what the hospital could provide.

Chloe was transferred to Vanderbilt's children's hospital and treated for the trauma but the day she was ready to check out, her condition took a nose dive.

"She actually took a little nap and then she woke up screaming in pain, she grabs the back of her head and we're kinda freaking out like what's going on," Jared added.

Further tests showed she had meningitis, an infection of the fluid and membranes around her spinal cord.

Her father, Jared, took to Facebook asking for prayers and his video was shared around the world.

Soon people from as far away as Spain and Kenya shared encouraging words and prayers for Chloe. They told how Chloe's story changed the way they chose to live.

"I have had messages from people all around the world saying, I spend more time with my children today, my husband and wives, they actually took time off to be together," Jared said.

Her dad said Chloe wants to be a missionary and she had no idea the hardest days of her young life would bring so many people together across the globe.

"It's awe inspiring how God can take my precious little 10-year-old girl and take such a tragedy and bring so many people closer together, families improved and lives turned around and changed for the good," Jared added.

This release was originally posted on, http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local/dads-viral-post-gains-worldwide-support-for-daughter-fighting-infection/510520910

PRMC Patient Reports Meningitis

2018-01-24T07:14:00.001-08:00

Kim Reese, marketing director for Dogwood Trails Assisted Living & Memory Care, is being quarantined at PRMC with what she reports is a diagnosis of meningitis.

A Palestine woman has been quarantine at a local hospital with an illness she said is meningitis.

Due to federal medical privacy laws, officials at Palestine Regional Medical Center would neither confirm nor deny the hospital is treating a case of meningitis in quarantine.

Kim Reese, 46, of Palestine, is hospitalized at PRMC, after experiencing a stiff neck and an extremely painful headache, similar to a migraine, on Friday morning.

After the pain worsened, Reese decided to seek emergency medical treatment at the regional medical center. Reese underwent a spinal tap for diagnosis to catch the illness early.

“The spinal tap was not as bad as the headache,” Reese told the Herald-Press on Monday. “At that point, I didn't care what they did to make me better.”

She is getting aggressive IV antibiotics, twice a day, and pain medication. Medical staff are waiting on lab results to confirm what type of meningitis Reese has.

Reese has been in quarantine throughout the weekend.

“Quarantine stinks after the first 24 hours of quiet time,” she said. “However, staff here has been great and very helpful.”

Reese, marketing director for Dogwood Trails Assisted Living & Memory Care, said no one knows where she may have contracted the disease.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, meningitis is an inflammation (swelling) of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord. A bacterial or viral infection of the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord usually causes the swelling.

However, injuries, cancer, certain drugs, and other kinds of infections also can cause meningitis.

Treatments vary, depending on the cause of the illness.

Reese's husband has disinfected the couple's home, hoping to keep their two children, ages 8 and 9, from contracting the illness.

The CDC is closed due to the government shutdown. The Herald-Press could not get information about other possible cases of meningitis in East Texas.

The CDC website states people with symptoms should seek medical attention immediately. Symptoms can first appear as a flu-like illness and rapidly worsen. The two most common kinds are meningitis and septicemia — both of which can turn deadly in a matter of hours.

The most common symptoms include fever, headache, and stiff neck. Additional symptoms include nausea, vomiting, photophobia, and an confused mental state.

“When in doubt, go to the emergency room,” Reese said. “This possibly saved my life.”

Reese said she has been told she could possibly go home in two days.

This release was originally posted on, http://www.palestineherald.com/news/prmc-patient-reports-meningitis/article_af5a2e48-ffd7-11e7-a501-23859bb78d28.html

Health Minister Warns Nigerians of Meningitis, Explains Inability to Vaccinate All Citizens

2018-01-22T01:42:00.003-08:00

Child being vaccinated

Nigerians have been warned to be on alert and take preventive measures against Cerebrospinal Meningitis, CSM, as this is the season of the deadly disease.

The Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole, who gave the warning, said the federal government cannot afford to vaccinate every single citizen against the disease at the moment.

According to Mr. Adewole, CSM, a seasonal disorder, is easy to diagnose but the protective vaccine is very expensive.

“I cannot recommend that we should spend N1.65 trillion to purchase meningitis vaccine alone. That’s almost like a third to quarter of our total budget. If we do that, then it means we have to abandon other things” Mr. Adewole, a professor, told PREMIUM TIMES on phone.

“The conjugate vaccine can protect an individual for 10 years, while the polyvalent vaccine protects for three years, but for now both are expensive so our best bet is to alert Nigerians that this is the season for meningitis and they should beware.

“We can only prioritise by using case detection to look at states that have the highest cases of meningitis and face them rather than focusing on vaccinating the entire country.

“If we say let’s face meningitis alone you should consider that we need to vaccinate against measles, against yellow fever and other diseases,” the minister noted.

He said the ultimate aim is to vaccinate the whole Nigeria over the next five years but it has to be done in phases based on priority and also based on the availability of the vaccine.

Health Minister, Isaac Adewole

Mr. Adewole further advised Nigerians to avoid overcrowded places, live and sleep in a well ventilated environment, drink and eat well and always report or go for test when symptoms of strange fever is noticed.

He said the health ministry is working with state governments to identify areas that are at risk and strengthen the healthcare system over there.

CSM is a disease caused by a germ called Nesseria meningitidis which usually causes inflammation of the lining of the brain and the spinal cord. The disease often occurs in epidemic proportion around November to May of the following year when the rainy season starts.

When CSM epidemic occurs, many people are usually affected at the same time. It can be very serious among persons aged 1 to 30 years. Occasionally it affects older people.

Nigeria has a long history of CSM epidemics. One of the worst occurred in 1996 when 109,580 cases and 11,717 deaths were recorded.

In 2003, there were 4,130 cases and 401 deaths; 9,086 cases and 562 deaths in 2008, and 9,086 cases and 562 deaths recorded in 2009.

The historical records and past experiences influenced health authorities in Africa (especially countries within the African Meningitis Belt), the World Health Organisation and Development Partners to roll out a strategic intervention for the effective prevention of such epidemics.

In the most recent case of the epidemic, as at March 31, 2017, there were 2,524 infections with 328 deaths recorded in 90 local government areas in 16 states of Nigeria.

Symptoms of the disease include stiff neck, high fever, rash, headache, vomiting, and confusion. Even with rapid diagnosis, 5-10 per cent of patients typically die within 24-48 hours of symptom onset. Although sometimes fatal, CSM is most often treatable with antibiotics administered upon hospital admission.

This article originally appeared on, https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/255681-health-minister-warns-nigerians-meningitis-explains-inability-vaccinate-citizens.html

School in Kent on Meningitis Alert as Teacher Hospitalised

2018-01-22T01:33:00.001-08:00

Library photo: Schoolchildren Credit: PA

A secondary school in Kent has issued a health warning to staff, students and parents after a teacher was struck down with meningitis.

Mascalls Academy in Paddock Wood, Tonbridge, has more than one thousand students.

We have been notified that a member of the Mascalls teaching staff has been hospitalised in the last 24 hours with bacterial meningitis and septicaemia. As you will appreciate this is a serious condition and as a result the school has taken medical advice and notified the various authorities so that they are aware of the outbreak."

– MASCALLS ACADEMY

In a statement, school bosses said it will "continue to operate as normal" as "additional outbreaks are highly unlikely".

The school added: "our thoughts and best wishes are with our member of staff and their family during this difficult time".

See the full statement here: IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR ALL STAFF, STUDENTS AND PARENTS OF MASCALLS ACADEMY

This release was originally posted on, http://www.itv.com/news/meridian/update/2018-01-16/school-on-meningitis-alert-as-teacher-hospitalised/

Alyssa Alcaraz Died After Allegedly Being Misdiagnosed With The Flu

2018-01-18T18:46:00.000-08:00

Alyssa Alcaraz (center) died Dec. 17 after she went into cardiac arrest and septic shock from a strep blood infection, which her family did not know she had. (Courtesy of Keila Lino) Twelve-year-old Alyssa Alcaraz died after allegedly being misdiagnosed with the flu. The preteen passed away on Sunday, Dec. 17, 2017 at the Kaweah Delta Medical Center in Visalia, California. According to The Washington Post, just 10 days before their daughter's death, Alcaraz’s family watched her perform at her school’s Christmas concert. The middle schooler had aspirations of pursuing the arts, but also expressed interest in someday becoming a police officer. She was, as her mother, Keila Lino, described to The Washington Post, a “tough little cookie” who was “responsible for her age.” The young girl realized that she was unwell and needed to be sent home from school on Dec. 13, when she started to feel feverish and had thrown up earlier in the day.

On Dec. 14, Lino took her daughter to Kaweah Delta Urgent Care in Visalia, California to have Alcaraz’s symptoms checked out. People reports it was here that the doctors allegedly misdiagnosed the young girl with the flu, prescribing her ibuprofen, cough syrup, nausea medication, and rest. By Sunday, Dec, 17, it was clear that these medications were not helping Alcaraz recover. From there, Alcaraz’s symptoms quickly grew worse, and she began experiencing shortness of breath. Lino brought her daughter back to urgent care, and it was found that her oxygen levels were dropping. After that, the young girl was rushed to the hospital and diagnosed, this time with meningitis. She died hours later due to cardiac arrest, as well as a strep blood infection, according to Cosmopolitan.

The family has a Go Fund Me page to help with the Alyssa’s funeral expenses, https://www.gofundme.com/alyssa-alcaraz

Boy, 5, dies of meningitis in La Spezia, Italy

2018-01-18T18:43:00.001-08:00

(ANSA) - January 18 - A five-year-old boy died of meningitis in a hospital in La Spezia Thursday, the Liguria regional government said. Standard procedures for managing cases of meningococcus sepsis have been initiated, the government said.

Anti-biotics will be given to all those who came into close contact with the boy this afternoon. Doctors will go to the boy's nursery school to start administering antibiotics, medical sources said. The regional health agency, ALISA, set up a commission to assess the case and recommend all possible action.

This new release originally appeared on, http://www.ansa.it/english/news/general_news/2018/01/18/boy-5-dies-of-meningitis-in-la-spezia-3_45870bfb-9148-48c8-9c34-3a88049cc7d6.html

Complication sends young leukemia patient back to local hospital

2018-01-18T18:19:00.001-08:00

WACO, Texas (KWTX) McKenzie Covert, 6, of Woodway who started the final round of chemotherapy in her two-year battle with leukemia Tuesday after a big celebration Monday night is back in the hospital with what doctors think is a form of meningitis. Monday night, McKenzie jogged onto the court at Baylor’s Ferrell Center, hand-in-hand with 6-foot-3 starting guard King McClure, as part of the team’s effort supporting Coaches vs. Cancer program, a nationwide collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches, of which Bears coach Scott Drew is a part, to raise awareness and funds for the fight against cancer. Hours after she started the final treatment Tuesday, she developed a fever and her parents took her to the emergency room. She was later admitted to McLane Children’s Hospital.

"Although the doctor thinks she has viral meningitis (which is what we want), he is treating her for bacterial meningitis until he know more," McKenzie's mother, Tiffany shared online Wednesday evening. Doctors don’t think the meningitis is related to the high-risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia with which the Woodway Elementary School kindergarten student was diagnosed in September 2015.

Doctors don’t think the meningitis is related to the high-risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia with which the Woodway Elementary School kindergarten student was diagnosed in September 2015.

This new release originally appeared on, http://www.kwtx.com/content/news/On-eve-of-last-leukemia-treatment-area-girl-does-something-very-cool-469602843.html

008 - Trey Olds Interview | Autism After Meningitis | Meningitis News

2018-01-16T17:25:00.001-08:00

I met Trey Olds on Facebook several months ago. He emailed me about being a guest on Meningitis News so that he could share his story with the world and hopefully inspire other people experiencing the same challenges like he does on the day to day basis.

Trey was born premature and at 3 months he fell ill with bacterial meningitis. His case was so bad that the doctors wouldn’t let his mother leave the hospital room to call her husband who worked out in the oil fields. Trey survived. During his childhood, he faced a number of health difficulties. He’s legally blind in his left eye, color blind and brain damage to his frontal lobe.

Through it all, Trey is an amazing person who has persevered. Trey hosts a radio-style podcast called The Trey Olds Show, https://www.spreaker.com/show/the-trey-olds-radio-show_1 where he interviews actors, business people, and celebrities.

You can find Trey Olds on social media profiles:

Meningitis News is an ongoing series of interviews, media updates and alerts surrounding cases and meningitis outbreaks. Meningitis News aims to disseminate news and educate the public about meningitis. Meningitis News is a weekly broadcast that delivers information on meningitis related to outbreaks, vaccinations, medical conditions and other important subjects related to meningitis.

Meningitis News is hosted by Daisi Pollard Sepulveda who became a spokesperson for meningitis immunization advocacy groups after being diagnosed with meningitis in 2006.

To learn more about Meningitis and Meningitis News visit our site, http://www.MeningitisNews.org

Remember our Disclaimer, the content in this podcast are intended as general information only and may not be considered as a substitution for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

Support our show by visiting us on Patreon.

To learn more about Meningitis News visit our website, http://www.MeningitisNews.org

Follow our host, Daisi on Instagram and Facebook.

Check out this episode!

007 - Laura Wilcox Interview | Meningitis Now Toddle Waddle Fundraiser | Meningitis New

2017-09-22T19:20:00.001-07:00

Welcome back to Meningitis News! Laura Wilcox is the mother of Harrison Wilcox.

This past May Harrison contracted Meningococcal Septicaemia, leading Laura and her family facing one of the toughest and most terrifying times of their lives. Their beautiful baby boy was so incredibly ill and there was nothing they could do but hope and pray for his recovery.

As a result of the incredible medical care provided by the Birmingham Children's Hospital, they are so unbelievably lucky and grateful that Harrison has now made full recovery.

Since Laura has been hard at work advocating for meningitis awareness and immunization through the Meningitis Now Foundation. In this interview with Laura, she recounts the events that led up to Harrison’s hospitalization, treatment, and recovery. You can support Laura’s Toddle Waddle event by donating to her campaign via this link https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/laura-wilcox14

Remember our Disclaimer, the content in this podcast are intended as general information only and may not be considered as a substitution for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

Support our show by visiting us on Patreon. To learn more about Meningitis News visit our website, http://www.MeningitisNews.org

Follow our host, Daisi on Instagram and Facebook.

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006 - Epilepsy After Meningitis with Momona Samuel | Meningitis news

2017-08-21T16:28:00.001-07:00

I met Momona many years ago when I was just setting up my first business. She was a very close friend to my then assistant. Since I’ve kept in touch with her mainly through social media but it wasn’t until a few weeks ago that I learned we had more in common than a mutual friend.

Momona suffered from infantile meningitis. Her parents were told she made a full recovery with no signs of prolonged after effects. However growing up, Momona experienced auras which she didn’t attribute to a particular illness until she began having seizures. Momona began having seizures in 2005, around the time we first met. She continued through school, graduation, her first job, and all of the ‘coming of age’ experiences one has as a young adult just starting out - all while having seizures. At certain point, Momona was forced to move back home to Seattle with her parents. She was diagnosed with epilepsy but no-one was quite clear where the epilepsy came from. It wasn’t until Momona underwent a series of tests that it was determined that the probable cause of her epilepsy was from infantile meningitis.

In this episode, Momona tells her story of learning she had epilepsy as a result of meningitis, the decision to have brain surgery and making a full recovery.

Support our show by visiting us on Patreon. Meningitis News is available on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Google Play and wherever you get your podcasts! To learn more about Meningitis News visit our website, http://www.MeningitisNews.org

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005 - Herpes, Meningitis and Lawsuits Interview with Liz Crokin | Meningitis News

2017-06-18T16:43:00.001-07:00

In this episode of Meningitis News, I sit down with author Liz Crokin who is in an explosive legal battle with her ex-boyfriend, Mallory Hill after being infected with herpes meningitis. In her now released novel, Malice, Liz fictionalizes her tragic experience with herpes meningitis and her battle with her ex.

We discuss the dangerous stigma of herpes, its relationship to meningitis and the consequence for at-risk women.

Support our show by visiting us on Patreon.

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004 - Life After Streptococcus Meningitis | Interview with Janice Gaskin | Meningitis News

2017-06-11T12:00:00.001-07:00

Today we have an episode from our original series of Meningitis News.

On April 16, 2011, Janice Gaskin’s 2-month-old son woke up in the middle of the night very ill. He was running a fever of 102, vomiting, bulging soft spot, and was very lethargic. After a doctor’s visit and a misdiagnosis from urgent care, a visit to Munroe Regional, and finally ending up at Shands ICU, Janice learned that Trent was suffering from a deadly form of Bacterial Meningitis called “Streptococcus Meningitis”.

After a CAT scan and MRI, doctors informed us that Trent suffered a stroke from excess spinal fluid in the area of his brain. Trent was also suffering from seizures. Doctors drilled a burr hole to drain the excess spinal fluid in order to relieve the seizures. Trent also needed two blood transfusions. Janice wasn’t sure if Trent was going to survive but after four weeks in Shand’s, with the help of staff and proper care, Trent was eventually able to go home. On today’s episode, Janice shares with us some long-term effects Trent will have to live with after Streptococcus Meningitis.

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003 - College Students Sues Oregon Medical Group Over Meningitis Response

2017-06-04T12:01:00.001-07:00

University of Oregon student, Christina Jenkins filed suit against the medical providers who she claims had failed to properly diagnose her meningococcal disease stemming from an outbreak on the campus of the school in 2015.

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002 - $18.5M Government Settlement to Infant's Family in Meningitis Case

2017-05-28T12:00:00.001-07:00

The United States government paid out $18.5 million dollars in damages to the family of an infant girl, Paola Guevera, whose pediatrician failed to diagnose a meningitis infection, causing the child to suffer severe brain damage.

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001 - 2012 New England Compounding Center Fungal Meningitis Outbreak Trial Underway

2017-05-21T12:00:00.001-07:00

In this episode of Meningitis News, we recap the current trial in the New England Compounding Center Fungal Meningitis case. Prosecutions have been handed down and charges filed for executives at New England Compounding Center for their alleged involvement in a fungal meningitis outbreak that left 64 dead and 700 people ill in more than 20 states, due to contaminated steroid injections. Lead CDC investigator Dr. Benjamin Park testifies that the outbreak was the result of the use of expired ingredients and a failure to properly test the drugs.

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000: Welcome To The Meningitis News Podcast - Introduction

2017-05-17T14:38:00.001-07:00

Hello and welcome to the first episode of the Meningitis News podcast.

What is Meningitis News?

Meningitis News is hosted by Daisi Pollard Sepulveda who became a spokesperson for meningitis immunization advocacy groups after being diagnosed with meningitis in 2006.

To learn more about Meningitis and Meningitis News visit our site, http://www.MeningitisNews.org

Check out this episode!

WK 9/28-10/2: Back To School Meningitis Outbreak Fears Increase Across U.S.

2015-11-04T15:53:00.000-08:00

In this week's post and video, we focus on the rise in meningitis outbreaks in schools across the U.S. and touch on at-risk communities such as the elderly.

In the last few years, the U.S. has experienced a huge increase in deadly meningitis cases amongst certain communities including school age children, the elderly and the LGBT community. Within the last few years, MenB has exploded on college campuses. Now it seems MenW is raising flags in the global community. While it was first confirmed in Brazil, the strain has become more prevalent in the U.K.

MenW is Meningococcal W and its the deadliest form of meningitis. As most of the U.S.outside of the medical community are just starting to understand the types and strains; in the last month, there has been a rise in viral and bacterial meningitis cases amongst middle and high schoolers.

In Green Bay, WI, there was one confirmed case of Viral Meningitis in Green Bay Area Public School at the Early Learning Center. The school district sent out notices to parents of students at several schools including the ELC, Danz, Sullivan and Eisenhower schools as a precaution in case the infected student had siblings that attended other schools according to wbay.com In Swartz Creek, MI, Swartz Creek High School closed for a week after staff member falls sick with what appear to be meningitis symptoms. The school district has seen three cases thus far (two being viral meningitis and one being bacterial meningitis.) In additional a case of viral meningitis has been confirmed at Rockdale Elementary School in Rocksdale, Texas and another at Saco Middle School in Saco, Maine.

Meningitis doesn’t only affect the young, an elderly woman has contracted West Nile meningitis in Allegheny County, Pittsburgh, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. West Nile meningitis is a lesser known form of meningitis with less than 1% of West Nile victims developing severe symptoms connected to meningitis. (cdc.gov)