Boy's death suspected to be caused by meningitis

This is not original reporting. All information has been compiled from an article in The Washington Post.

According to health officials, a first grade student from Webb Elementary School Northeast Washington D.C. died on Feb. 25 from what doctors suspect was a bacterial form of meningitis.

The six-year old boy became ill in mid-February, and since Feb. 18, he has not been in school. On Feb. 23, the young boy was taken to Children's Hospital. Once he arrived, the doctors quickly suspected that he had meningitis. Officials expect that the bacterium that caused the boy's death is Neisseria meningitides.

According to health officials, no other students or family members of the boy have shown symptoms of meningitis. It is no longer possible for these individuals to show symptoms because the incubation period has already passed. Nevertheless, students received letters from the Department of Health to take home to their parents as a precautionary measure. The Department of Health also plans to keep track of those students who are out of school sick.

Meningitis is the inflammation of the lining surrounding the brain and spinal cord. A virus or bacteria can cause meningitis. The bacterial form of meningitis is often more severe. The symptoms of meningitis are similar to those of the flu but also include stiff neck, headache, high fever, muscle ache and vomiting. Meningitis is highly contagious and it is spread through close contact in households, dormitories and barracks. It is also transmitted when people exchange respiratory secretions. There is a vaccine for bacterial meningitis, and rising college freshmen are often required to receive it.