HUDSON, NC — Officials with Caldwell County Schools say a student at Hudson Elementary has been diagnosed withΒ pneumococcal meningitis.
According to school and health officials, the student has not attended school anytime this week and say contact with someone with pneumococcal meningitis presents no particular risk.
In a letter from the Health Department sent home with students today, officials said, “the kind of meningitis diagnosed in this child is caused by bacteria called Streptococcus pneumonia. The bacteria is common, especially in children, who may have the bacteria in their throats without being ill. Antibiotic treatment is not generally recommended for people who have been exposed to someone with pneumococcal meningitis.”
Symptoms of pneumococcal meningitis include a sudden onset of fever, severe headache, stiff neck, and nausea or vomiting. Anyone experiencing these symptoms should immediately contact a physician.
Health officials remind everyone to use good hand washing practices to help prevent the spread of the bacteria and other causes of infection.
