Spit is Dangerous

Child in Hampton day care center infected by meningitis bacteria

This is why we are so careful about children keeping hands and face to self.
They really don’t understand at times that kissing, biting, licking and spitting
are not proper activities. Any aggressive spit related activities must result in
a loss of a medal.

HAMPTON — State officials are taking preventive measures following the report of a child becoming infected with meningitis at a day care center in Hampton.

The state Division of Public Health Services announced on Wednesday there was a case of meningococcal disease, which causes bacterial meningitis. Children who attend the center and staff were notified and advised to contact their health care provider about receiving prophylaxis antibiotics.

State officials have not released the name of the day care."This can be a serious illness and we want to make sure that those who may have been exposed are informed of the situation," said Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner John Stephen in a press release.

"There is no risk, however, to the general public since the bacteria requires close contact to be spread from person to person. We also want to move quickly to protect the health of anyone who might have been exposed to this disease.

"Bacterial meningitis is an infection of the membranes surrounding the spinal cord and the brain. Its symptoms include severe headache, fever, nausea, stiff neck, and sometimes a rash. The incubation period is generally two to six days.

State Epidemiologist Dr. Jose Montero said the state is closely monitoring the situation and advising the child care center and other high-risk contacts to take appropriate precautionary steps."

Since meningitis is most commonly spread by saliva, the social interaction of young children especially in a child care setting means that they should be treated preventively," Montero said in a press release.

The organism is spread primarily through such activities as kissing, mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, or sharing eating utensils, smoking materials or beverages. The organism is extremely sensitive to drying and cooling and rarely survives outside the body for more than a few minutes. If it is coughed onto a desk, for example, and stays there for a minute or longer, it will dry out and die, according to information on the Department of Health and Human Service's website.

Infected individuals are treated with a regimen of antibiotics. Among the preventive measures are vaccines against some strains of the disease.

On average, New Hampshire sees about 15 cases per year. This is the 10th case this year. In June, a pupil at Souhegan High School in Amherst was diagnosed with the disease.

Meningitis strikes about 3,000 Americans every year and claims as many as 300 lives, according to statistics provided in a pamphlet by the New Hampshire Technical Institute. Between 100 and 125 cases occur on college campuses every year and five to 15 students die each year as a result.For more information, visit www.dhhs.nh.gov or www.cdc.gov.