Quick work halts meningitis spread

Quick responses by Kalispell Regional Medical Center’s emergency room staff and the City-County Health Department kept bacterial meningitis limited to one local high school student, the Flathead City-County Board of Health learned Thursday.

Jody White, director of Community Health Services Division, said Dr. Robert Bates, an emergency medicine specialist, recognized early symptoms presented by the young woman, which led to testing and the confirmed diagnosis. The hospital quickly contacted the health department’s infectious disease team, which fanned out to assess the risk to the patient’s family and close friends.

County Health Officer Joe Russell said the staff made well over 30 contacts to determine who needed to take preventive antibiotics. The incident took place about two weeks ago.

“There was a whole lot of work with this case,” he said.

White said two friends of the girl, some close family members and some laboratory personnel took a round of antibiotics as a precaution. Only a few hospital employees in the ER had enough exposure to require antibiotics.

She praised the emergency room staff for quickly moving the patient into isolation to protect other patients and personnel.  Because she received quick and early intervention at Kalispell Regional Medical Center, the patient has recovered from the potentially deadly infection.

“We have some very capable ER docs here,” Russell said. “We have good communication with them.”

White said that while bacterial meningitis isn’t as contagious as the flu, the infection is extremely virulent, making people very ill. The department recommends meningitis vaccinations along with required middle-school immunizations.

According to the Centers for Disease Control’s website, meningitis is an inflammation of the membrane covering the brain and spinal cord. Bacterial meningitis is considered more severe than viral meningitis and may result in brain damage, hearing loss, learning disabilities or death.

Symptoms include high fever, headache and stiff neck and may develop within two hours or over one or two days. Other symptoms include nausea, vomiting, discomfort looking into bright lights, confusion and sleepiness.

Diagnosis is made by growing bacteria taken from a sample of spinal fluid. The source of her infection was not determined.

White said the team was “able to control the rumor mill” and prevent a panic. She recounted an incident last year when a bogus rumor of illness started on Facebook, triggering many calls to the department and fear in the public.

In response to board member questions, White said that the department has four lab-confirmed cases of flu in the county. Three were in children and were type A H1N1 while the fourth, not typed yet, was a very elderly woman.

This year’s flu vaccine provides protection against H1N1. White reminds the public that it isn’t too late to get a vaccination that provides protection within two weeks.

Flu season often peaks in February and continues into the spring.

Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by email at cchase@dailyinterlake.com.