WYOMING– Health officials say there is no cause for immediate concern after a patient in Carbon County was admitted to a local hospital for suspected Meningitis.
The Wyoming Department of Health confirms a fourth grade student in Carbon County was admitted to hospital for potential meningitis but tests have this far been inconclusive.
“There is no cause for widespread public health concern related to a possible meningitis case in Carbon County,” state officials said.
KTWO-AM reports Carbon County School District No. 2 canceled classes Thursday at the elementary schools in Hanna, Elk Mountain and Medicine Bow, as well as the high school in Hanna. Classes are expected to resume Monday after the campuses are disinfected.
Hospital laboratory work involving the student described in communications shared earlier this week by local school representatives has not been completed. As a result, no specific diagnosis has been confirmed for this student.
There are several types of bacterial meningitis, and only one form, caused by the type of bacteria called Neisseria meningitidis, is viewed as a limited public health concern.
People spread Neisseria meningitidis through respiratory or throat secretions (saliva or spit). This typically involves activities such as coughing or kissing or lengthy living in the same household.
Typically, when this particular form of meningitis is confirmed in a patient, the Wyoming Department of Health recommends preventive treatment with antibiotics for close contacts of the ill individual. Other forms of meningitis do not usually require preventive treatment with antibiotics.
The most effective way to prevent certain types of bacterial meningitis, including Neisseria meningitidis, is vaccination.
