Parents in Carlsbad have been warned to be on the look out as officials suspect a kindergartner in the area may have contracted bacterial meningitis, according to the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency.
According to the agency, a student at Poinsettia Elementary School showed symptoms of the illness on Jan. 30.
“Based on this student’s attendance dates, there is an extremely low risk of infections for anyone at the school,” said Wilma Wooden, M.D., M.P.H, County Public Health Officer. While there may be a low risk of infection, the HHSA urged parents to make sure that their children have received the appropriate vaccination against the disease.
Children and teenagers are among the population who are at high risk for the disease, therefore vaccination is recommended for those who are from the ages of 11 to 18.
Symptoms of the infection include fever, intense headache, stiff neck, and a rash. If a child shows any of these symptoms they should be taken to the doctor or emergency room, according to a media release.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that warning signs for infants may appear as slow or inactive, vomiting, irritable and loss of appetite.
Bacterial Meningitis is highly contagious and can take up to 10 days to surface, however some patients may show symptoms within only three days of the contagion.
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It is still unknown how the child may have been infected.
For more information visit www.sdiz.org.
