Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka and city officials are urging any child who came into close contact with a 6-year-old child who died last week in a possible case of bacterial meningitis to visit their doctor for a screening and preventative treatment.
Baraka's office says the first-grade student attended the Oliver Street School at the height of the child's suspected infection, contrary to what health officials said Monday, when they reported the child had been out of school for 10 days with flu-like symptoms and that the student spent no time in school while potentially infectious.
Students who were in the same classroom as the child could be most at risk, the mayor's office said.
Federal and state health guidelines do not recommend prophylaxis for classmates in kindergarten grades and above.
"However, because we are not familiar with medical conditions of all the students in this classroom, it is the recommendation of the Newark Department of Health, that any child of the Oliver Street School who came in close contact with the deceased should be evaluated immediately by their primary care physician," Newark Health and Community Wellness Director Dr. Hanaa Hamdi said in a statement Tuesday.
The Newark Department of Health and Community Wellness is working with the Newark Public Schools, the State Department of Health, and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to monitor the school for further possible outbreaks.
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.
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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.
Parents and caregivers concerned their children may have been exposed to meningitis are urged to contact their doctor, or to call the city's health centers at 973-877-6111 or 973-733-7600.
