San Diego County

Meningococcal Meningitis Case Reported at Bonita Vista High School

“We want to make sure students are up to date on their vaccinations and make sure that those in the school community look for the appropriate signs and symptoms,” said Wilma Wooten, M.D., M.P.H., County Public Health Officer

Students and staff at Bonita Vista High School were notified this week about a case of meningococcal disease on campus, the second case in San Diego County this year. 

A member of the school community was diagnosed with the disease and is currently undergoing treatment at a local hospital and is expected to recover, the Health and Human Service Agency (HHSA) said.

Preventative antibiotics were given to all people who have been in close contact with the ill person, HHSA said. Antibiotics are not recommended for others at the school who were not close contacts.

HHSA is working with the high school to alert students and staff.

"We want to make sure students are up to date on their vaccinations and make sure that those in the school community look for the appropriate signs and symptoms," County Public Health Officer Wilma Wooten said.

Symptoms may include fever, intense headache, sensitivity to light and noise, stiff neck, and/or a rash that does not blanch under pressure. Symptoms will appear between two and 10 days after exposure, HHSA said.

Anyone who develops any of these symptoms should be evaluated immediately for possible meningococcal disease by a health care provider, the agency said. 

According to health officials, there is no apparent connection between this case and the outbreak of meningococcal disease reported at San Diego State University. There were three cases in undergraduate students reported at SDSU in 2018.

A total of 12 meningococcal cases were reported in San Diego County residents in 2018, and this is the second case reported in 2019.

For more information on vaccines and additional information, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.

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