Second Case Of Meningitis Suspected At New York City High School

January 14, 2009 7:06 a.m. EST

New York, NY (AHN) - Health officials in New York say there might be a second case of meningitis at Stuyvesant High School after a student died of symptoms consistent with bacterial meningitis last week.

Ava Hecht, a senior from Bayside Queens, died under treatment at a hospital last Thursday, and an autopsy is not complete. In the meantime, health department officials are trying to identify anyone who had close contact with Hecht so they can begin preventative treatment for those individuals.

Officials say that individuals who had casual contact, such as talking to Hecht, sitting in the same room or passing her in the hallway are not at risk. It takes more prolonged face-to-face contact with someone to contract the disease, health department officials say.

There are vaccines against meningitis available for children. New York City has about 30 to 50 meningococcal cases each year and about 3,000 nationwide.

Symptoms of meningococcal disease include fever, chills, stiff neck, headache, rash, and nausea or vomiting. Although the symptoms of bacterial and viral meningitis are similar, while the viral version only rarely results in death, the bacterial disease is more serious and can result not only in death, but in disability as well if it isn't promptly treated, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

According to the National Meningitis Association Website: "Meningococcal disease is a bacterial infection that causes swelling of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord, called meningitis, or causes blood poisoning, called meningococcemia."

• It is the most common cause of bacterial meningitis in the U.S. among toddlers, adolescents and young adults.
• About 10 to 12 percent of the 3,000 Americans infected each year will die.
• About 20 percent of those who survive meningococcal disease have permanent disabilities, such as brain damage, kidney disease, hearing loss or loss of limbs.
• An FDA-approved vaccine can help prevent the majority of adolescent cases.