Northpinellas: Fourth student likely has meningitis

Paramedics brought James Thomas, 15, to the emergency room at Largo Medical Center on Friday night, where "presumptive bacterial meningitis" was diagnosed pending the outcome of more tests, hospital officials said.

The results of those tests were not available Saturday night.

Bacterial meningitis, a contagious and potentially fatal disease, has hospitalized three other Pinellas County high school students since Jan. 27.

Two of the students are ninth-graders at East Lake High School. The third is a 10th-grader at Clearwater Central Catholic High School. The health of those three has improved during the week.

Thomas' condition was described as stable Saturday night at Largo Medical Center.

Dr. John Heilman, director of the Pinellas County Health Department, said the East Lake High cases may be related. But, he said, there does not appear to be a link between those two cases and the others in Pinellas County.

"All we can say for sure is we have four -- well, three and one presumptive -- scattered throughout the county," Heilman said. "The fact that we had four in a week is unusual, but it's nothing to write home about."

Bacterial meningitis is an infection of the membrane surrounding the brain and spinal cord. It is transmitted through direct contact with saliva, such as kissing or sharing a drink or cigarette. It has an incubation period of two to 10 days, though it typically shows itself within five days, Heilman said.

It is not unusual for the disease to strike teenagers because they tend to get run down and are very socially active, Heilman said.

"If there's an opportunity for that organism to spread, it's going to be in that age group," he said.

In fact, at any given time, one in four people carries the meningococcus bacterium that causes this type of meningitis. But only a few get sick, and doctors really don't know why, he said.

Heilman said doctors have not yet determined if the current victims suffer from the same strain of bacterial meningitis. Though some types of the disease are preventable with a vaccine, the vaccine generally is not used except in epidemics, Heilman said.

Symptoms of bacterial meningitis include high fever, severe headaches and a stiff neck, and sometimes vomiting, unusual drowsiness or irritability. In later stages, symptoms may include seizures or a purplish rash.

After the disease was diagnosed in the first two students at East Lake High School last weekend, principal Richard Misenti sent a letter home to parents describing the symptoms. Though there have been plenty of rumors, no other cases have popped up at the high school, Misenti said Saturday.

One of the boys, who was at All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg, felt well enough to talk to Misenti on Friday. The other one, who is being treated at Plantation General Hospital near Fort Lauderdale, should be ready to come home this weekend, Misenti said.

Parents of students at Clearwater Central Catholic High School received a similar letter after 10th-grader Brenden Desmond was diagnosed with the disease. The Holiday 16-year-old was being treated at Community Hospital of New Port Richey.

Family and friends closest to the boys have been treated with preventive antibiotics.

Largo High School principal Barbara Thornton said she talked to Thomas' family Saturday, and the teen seemed to be feeling better. His family already had contacted his closest friends. On Monday, Thornton said she would send a letter to parents, similar to one she sent a few years ago when another student contracted the disease.

"It's a serious thing and we take it very seriously," Thornton said. "Luckily, all these kids are okay."

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