There is a health scare among kids who recently attended the Life Time Fitness camp. An employee has been diagnosed with bacterial meningitis and it's feared that some kids who had been in contact with the person may have had acquired it.
Protected by the right to personal health information, the employee's identity is anonymous. According to Detroit Free Press, the only information disclosed to the public about the infected patient is that he lives in Macomb County and has been hospitalized for bacterial meningitis. No update has been given as to how the infected employee is currently coping.
As per MLive, the best that the Oakland County Health Division can do at the moment is to notify parents of campers and employees, especially those who made contact with the employee from July 1 to July 11. Detroit Free Press reports there is an estimated 219 children who may have been in contact with the infected employee during the day camp in Rochester Hills.
Fortunately, meningitis does not spread through casual contact. A person gets infected with the disease through contact with a patient's saliva or nasal secretions. The symptoms of those who might have been exposed to the bacteria will begin showing on July 21 (via MLive).
There is a low risk that the children may have been infected of meningitis from the day camp. Nonetheless, it is still advised that the children and parents be cautious. As per Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), bacterial meningitis is very serious and can be deadly.
In a few hours of diagnosis, bacterial meningitis can kill a person. Most people recover from the disease but they may suffer from brain damage, hearing loss and learning disabilities. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, increased sensitivity to light and confusion on a lot of things.
CDC says that when someone gets infected with bacterial meningitis, antibiotics should be taken as soon as possible. To prevent it, although not 100% effective, vaccines can protect a child from the disease.
If you have any questions, contact Oakland County's nurse from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 800-848-5533 or e-mail noc@oakgov.com. For comments about this article, feel free to leave your thoughts below and follow Parent Herald for more news and updates.
