| Earlier this summer, a 14 year old attending camp at Jackson's Mill was diagnosed with viral meningitis. The following is provided to help answer questions you may have - especially if you or a family member will be visiting us this season. Background and additional information.
When did this happen?
The situation came up during the week of June 17, 2007.
The camper got sick at camp - did she catch meningitis there?
No. The individual had been exposed before coming to the Mill, but didn't exhibit symptoms until after camp had started.
Did anyone else at the camp catch it from her?
No.
Isn't meningitis really dangerous?
There are two types of meningitis: bacterial and viral. Bacterial meningitis is very serious and can result in disability or death if not treated promptly. According to Dr. Marty Weisse, pediatric infectious disease specialist at WVU, viral meningitis is the less severe and less contagious form of the condition. West Virginia State Epidemiologist Dr. Loretta Haddy says that viral meningitis is not considered a serious public health risk.
How do you treat it?
There is no specific treatment for viral meningitis. Doctors often recommend bed rest, plenty of fluids, and medicine to relieve fever and headache. "No specific treatment" sounds very scary, but remember: there's no specific treatment for the common cold, either.
What about antibiotics?
Viruses do not respond to antibiotics. Treatment for viral meningitis is based on rest and good nursing care.
How hard is viral meningitis to catch?
The viruses that cause viral meningitis are contagious. Some of these viruses are very common in the summer and early fall, and many people are exposed to them. However, most infected people either have no symptoms or develop only a cold or rash with low-grade fever. Only a small proportion of infected people actually develop meningitis.
Again, West Virginia State Epidemiologist Dr. Loretta Haddy says that viral meningitis is not considered a serious public health risk. In fact, the West Virginia Department of Health does not even require that such cases be reported.
How can you keep from getting it?
Good personal hygiene - including washing your hands thoroughly and often - is the most effective method of preventing viral meningitis and other diseases.
Isn't there still a risk that some of the virus is still at Jackson's Mill?
Dr. Weisse says viral meningitis does not occur in epidemics, and people who had close contact with this patient are not considered at higher risk for developing meningitis. He adds that there's no reason to consider Jackson's Mill to be an environment with an increased risk of the illness. In addition, before the determination was made that this was a case of viral rather than the more contagious bacterial meningitis, our housekeeping staff carefully followed all of the recommended procedures for cleaning and disinfecting the area.
Still have concerns?
Maybe this will help! When the camper got sick, our immediate priorities were to make sure she got the medical attention she needed, and to protect the health and safety of our other campers and staff. Until we got a definite diagnosis, we acted as though it might be bacterial meningitis. Once we knew it was viral, we had already taken the precautions that would have been needed for the more contagious bacterial form. By the following week, everything was back to normal. In fact two of Jackson's Mill Director Terry Patterson's daughters were in camp that next week. They stayed in the cottage where the sick camper had been the week before.
Background and additional information. | 
