7 diagnosed with viral meningitis in Boone County

Seven students in Boone County have been diagnosed with viral meningitis since the beginning of September, but officials say it is not time to worry about an epidemic yet. \nHealth educator Julie Wilmot of the Boone County Health Department said now is the peak meningitis season, and the numbers are not uncommon. \n“This is about the same number of cases we saw last year,” Wilmot said. \nViral meningitis is much less serious than its bacterial counterpart, Wilmot said. Primary symptoms include headache, fever, stiff neck, sensitivity to light and sometimes nausea, vomiting and “flu-like symptoms.” The disease usually does not require hospitalization, except occasionally for dehydration, Wilmot said. \nOne student at Zionsville Middle School was diagnosed with viral meningitis after a visit to a hospital emergency room, said Scott Robison, superintendent for Zionsville Community Schools. Robison is unsure whether the student was hospitalized overnight, but said the student has since recovered and returned to school. \nThe student was the only person from the Zionsville Community School District, Robison said. But all three school districts in Boone County were affected, Wilmot said. All seven cases of the disease were reported in children ages 10 to 18, she said. \nRobison said schools in his district alerted parents through their emergency response systems. About 6,200 e-mails, as well as some mailings, were sent to parents of students enrolled throughout the district. \n“I’m a parent too, and I’m concerned about it,” Robison said. “Meningitis is a scary word, and it is a very real and threatening disease, and that’s why we take it seriously and why our parents do as well.” \nStudents, especially athletes, are susceptible to the virus, which is passed through person-to-person contact, Wilmot said. \n“You see a lot of athletes share water bottles or towels, so they come into contact with other’s bodily fluids more,” she said. \nWilmot recommends people who are sick stay home, monitor their symptoms and contact their family physician if they have any signs of viral meningitis. To avoid getting the virus, do not share drinks with friends and, above all, wash hands frequently, she added. \n“Basic hand hygiene is the best way to prevent the spread of any disease,” Wilmot said.