Dickinson ISD Employee May Have Meningitis

KPRC Channel 2
POSTED: Tuesday, October 11, 2011
UPDATED: 11:13 pm CDT October 11, 2011

The school district said the Galveston County Health District told them about the suspected case late Monday.

An official diagnosis will take three to five days.

Because of privacy laws, the school district cannot identify the employee.

School district officials said a letter from the health district was sent home Tuesday with students and employees who may have had close contact with the affected employee. The superintendent also sent home a letter with all students to let parents know about the situation.

"I've got a daughter in high school. I've got a daughter in junior high and I've got a son in the Hughes Road. All three schools got a letter saying that there's a possibility that this could happen," said Steven McGehee. He said, "I was a little concerned. I was a little bit worried. I've been a medic for 14 years. I've dealt with this type of stuff. I don't know the extent that it has gone. I appreciate the school for sending the letter out and notifying."

The letters encourage parents to take their children to a doctor if they show any sign of meningococcal meningitis.

A third letter, from the Galveston County Health District, is going to those who may have had close, direct, contact with the employee. Any work areas the affected employee may have come into contact with have been disinfected, officials said.

The Galveston County Health District said meningococcal meningitis is not spread by casual contact. It is spread by direct contact to the nose or throat fluids of an infected person. That could be coughing, kissing, sharing utensils or drinking after the infected person.

Symptoms can include fever, chills, headache, stiff neck, lethargy, nausea, vomiting and purple skin rash.

(News Media: For more information contact Kurt Koopmann, GCHD Public Information Officer, 409-938-2211 or kkoopman@gchd.org)