Schoolboy Dies Of Bacterial Meningitis

Sat., Jan. 24, 1998

From Staff And Wire Reports

A 12-year-old Kent Elementary schoolboy has died of bacterial meningitis - the second death in the district since September as a result of the rare disease - but health officials say the two are not related.

The boy died at Children’s Hospital in Seattle on Tuesday, the same day his mother called the school to report he was sick. His identity has not been not released because of confidentiality rules.

School officials say the boy, whose family had just moved to the area from Hawaii, had been enrolled only two days.

The cause of death was pinned down Thursday, prompting school officials to send letters about the disease home with students.

In September, a third-grade girl from Scenic Hill Elementary School also died from the disease, characterized by vomiting, unusual sleepiness, rashes and a stiff neck or back. It is usually spread through nose or throat secretions and can kill a person within hours once symptoms develop.

Health officials say people exposed to the bacteria generally become ill within three to 10 days.

“Therefore, there is no reason to believe that this child’s illness is connected to that of (the) Scenic Hill elementary student,” said Chas DeBolt, an epidemiologist for the Seattle-King County Health Department.

Anyone who has had direct contact can be placed on antibiotic treatment for a two-day period, health officials said.

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