Bay City Tribune

A Bay City High School sophomore was admitted to Texas Children's Hospital with meningitis Saturday, Feb. 20.

Bay City school superintendent Keith Brown said the 16-year-old boy was in good condition Tuesday morning, but doctors had not determined if he had bacterial or viral meningitis at press time.

"The lab results have not returned to determine the type," Brown explained.

"I have been informed (by health officials) that the verification process takes around 48 hours."

The district issued a meningitis alert on the home page of their Web site with a statement from Bay City High School Principal Walt Wendtland and sent the alert to e-mail subscribers.

Brown said the district also advised the students and teachers in his classes and who attended a recent tennis tournament with him of the diagnosis.

Parents and guardians were advised to familiarize themselves with meningitis symptoms and effects of the disease.

Brown said the student does not have siblings attending other Bay City ISD campuses and, currently, no other students had been identified as exhibiting symptoms of meningitis.

What is meningitis?

Meningitis is an inflammation of the covering of the brain and spinal cord. It can be caused by viruses, parasites, fungi and bacteria.

Viral meningitis is common; most people recover fully.

Parasitic and fungal meningitis are very rare.

Bacterial meningitis is very serious and may involve complicated medical, surgical, pharmaceutical, and life support management.

What are the symptoms?

Someone with meningitis will become very ill.

The illness may develop over one or two days, but it can also rapidly progress in a matter of hours.

Not everyone with meningitis will have the same symptoms.

Children (over 1 year old) and adults with meningitis may have:

- Severe headache

- high temperature

- Vomiting

- Sensitivity to bright light

- Neck stiffness, joint pains

- Drowsiness or confusion

- In both children and adults, there may be a rash of tiny, red-purple spots or bruises caused by bleeding under the skin.

These can occur anywhere on the body.

They are a sign of blood poisoning, which sometimes happens with meningitis, particularly the meningococcal strain.