Lethal Meningitis Strain Kills Two Teens
A L L I A N C E, Ohio, June 4, 2001 -- More than 10,000 people, some fearful ofcontact with their family and friends, lined up at hospitals forpreventative antibiotics after a meningitis outbreak killed twohigh school students and left a third teenager seriously ill.
As hospital workers handed out forms to those waiting in lineSunday, several people refused to use the shared pens. “I’d rather use my own,” said Pam Craft, 48.
Her 16-year-old son, Chris, said “everybody’s panicking,” but said he was not concerned because, “All of my friends are alreadyon the medication.”
Community on Edge
Stacy Young, 26, said she was worried about her 5-year-olddaughter hugging and kissing her aunt because the teenage relativeattends high school with one of the three stricken teenagers.
About 21,000 doses of the antibiotic had been distributedthrough Alliance Community Hospital and an affiliated medicalservices building by late Sunday night. About 16,000 doses weredistributed in Salem, a town 12 miles east of Alliance.
Health officials began handing out antibiotics Saturday whenChristin Van Camp, 18, of Marlington High School, was hospitalizedwith an unidentified strain of Neisseria meningitidis. She waslisted in serious condition late Sunday afternoon.
Deadly Strain
Freshman Jonathan Stauffer, 15, died May 23, and Kelly Coblentz,16, a sophomore, died May 25 after being diagnosed with identicalstrains of Neisseria meningitidis. The two may have shared a waterbottle at their Beloit West Branch High School picnic last month,Superintendent Louis Ramunno said.
The teens attend schools about 15 miles away from each other andVan Camp was at Coblentz’s funeral on Friday.
Doctors expected to know by today if all three studentscontacted the same strain of meningitis, Hostettler said. If VanCamp’s strain turns out to be identical, Alliance would likelylaunch a vaccination program.
Experts to Assess Situation
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was to send anexpert to the area today to determine whether residents shouldreceive vaccinations on a community-wide basis.
Officials stopped distributing the preventative antibiotics this morning in Alliance, believing there would be no clinicalbenefit from distributing the drugs after the 48-hour incubationperiod for the disease, Hostettler said. Officials in Salem alsoplanned to cut off distribution later in the day.
Meningitis is spread by close contact, such as intimate kissing,drinking out of the same container or sharing an eating utensil,health officials said. Symptoms include high fever, headache, stiff neck, confusion,nausea, vomiting, exhaustion and possible rash.
The outbreak has sparked confusion and fear among residents. Marlington postponed its graduation ceremonies scheduled for Sunday and canceled classes for the rest of the year, including final exams.
Graduation Goes on as Planned
Marie Difloure, 35, and other parents of Alliance High Schoolseniors tried in vain to convince officials to call off Sunday’s graduation ceremonies. “They can postpone it, instead of risking people’s lives,”Difloure said.
The event went on as planned. Several doors of the school hadplacards advising, “This is not a site for medication,” anddirected people to the hospital.
Classes at West Branch were canceled Monday but were to resumeTuesday, officials said. St. Thomas Aquinas High School in nearbyLouisville canceled classes for the week.
There are about 3,000 cases of meningitis annually in the UnitedStates, said Tom Skinner, spokesman for the Centers for DiseaseControl and Prevention in Atlanta. Ten percent to 15 percent diefrom the disease.
He said of those who survive, some suffer permanent damage totheir bodies, including brain damage.