2010-03-13 11:51:43 - Epidemic Hazard - USA EDIS CODE: EH-20100313-25308-USA
Date & Time: 2010-03-13 11:51:43 [UTC]
Area: USA, State of Oklahoma, , Talala Number of Infected person(s): 1
Not confirmed information! Description: A 6-year-old Talala boy remained in critical condition Friday after contracting meningococcal disease, his grandfather said. Doctors have given Jeremiah Mitchell a 25 percent chance of surviving his illness, said Rockie Mitchell. "He's just unrecognizable," he said early Friday. "If he does make it, they'll probably have to take his arms and legs." The boy is among six children from Oologah-Talala schools who fell ill with the disease this week. Andrew Gregory Thomas, 7, and Shuache Moua, 8, died Thursday after contracting a rare blood infection called meningococcemia. It was the day class pictures were scheduled at Oologah-Talala's Lower Elementary School. Four others, including Jeremiah, remain hospitalized with the illness at Children's Hospital at St. Francis. Andrew Thomas, a second-grader at Oologah-Talala Lower Elementary, was a sweet boy who "loved anyone and everyone," said his 14-year-old sister, Brekke. "He always stuck close to Mama and was also very shy. But once he got to know you, he would always want to be around," she said. Brekke said her parents are heartbroken, along with the entire family and all of Andrew's friends. "He was such a sweet kid. It's going to be hard living without him. No more waking up to see him sleeping in his bed across the room and dragging him out of bed," she said. "I'm going to miss my little baby brother very, very much," Brekke said. There are around 2,000 cases of meningococcal disease each year in the U.S., said Tom Skinner, a spokesman for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.
"It's a very rare disease. Unfortunately, we do occasionally see these little clusters of cases once in a while," he said. "So while it's rare, it's not unheard of." It is important for people to know the early symptoms of the disease and get to a physician immediately when they appear, Skinner said. However, those symptoms are similar to symptoms of other illnesses, such as the flu, he said. "Sometimes, even when some kids are seen quickly and treated, for some reason, it can still result in a very serious illness," Skinner said. "It's a very scary and frightening illness because a child can have the symptoms and get very sick real quick." Some people carry the bacteria in their nose but never become ill. Health officials don't really understand why some people appear to be more susceptible to the disease than others, he said. On Friday, the Oologah-Talala school system was closed but state and local health officials held another clinic at the Lower Elementary school gymnasium for those who didn't get the prophylactic antibiotic injection Thursday. As a preventive measure Thursday and Friday, health officials quickly began treating students, staff and others who may have come into close contact with infected students. Next week is spring break. "Obviously, it's a little more calm today," Oologah-Talala school administration secretary Kari Payne said Friday. She said school officials will thoroughly clean the entire facility during the break. "We're going to take every precaution," Payne said. Aside from the six cases previously reported, the state Health Department is continuing to investigate possible additional cases of meningococcal disease as well as others who may have been exposed to the infection, officials said. Health officials want to stress the general public is not at risk. Only people who have had close contact with a person with meningococcal disease have a slightly increased risk of developing it. Meningococcal disease is caused by the bacteria Neisseria meningitidis. Many healthy people carry meningococcal bacteria in their nose and throat without any symptoms. The bacteria are spread from person to person by direct contact with secretions from the nose and throat.
The name of Hazard: Meningococcemia
Species: Human
Status: Confirmed
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