UPDATE: Newark Mayor Urges Classmates of Boy Who Died to Get Screened for Meningitis
The New Jersey Department of Health is investigating the death of a 6-year-old Newark boy as a possible case of bacterial meningitis.
The boy, a first-grade student at the Oliver Street School, died Thursday. He had been out of school for 10 days with flu-like symptoms, and the Health Department said he spent no time in school while potentially infectious. He had no contact with classmates or teachers either, the department said.
The student's classroom was cleaned as a precaution. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, bacterial meningitis is not as contagious as viruses that cause the common cold or flu, and it can't be spread by casual contact or breathing the same air as an infected person.
It can be treated effectively with antibiotics and most afflicted people recover, though it can cause serious complications like brain damage, hearing loss or learning disabilities. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, increased sensitivity to light and confusion.
Authorities are also investigating the death of a Newark seventh-grader, who died a day before the younger boy. The student attended the Luis Munoz Marin Middle School.
Both schools provided grief counseling for students on Monday.
