THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, June 17, 1995 TAG: 9506170323
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MARIE JOYCE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE LENGTH: Medium: 57 lines
City health officials are puzzling over an unusual outbreak of viral meningitis - a relatively mild, flu-like illness that has brought 10 people to the emergency room at Chesapeake General Hospital since April.
The illness is not a public health threat, said Chesapeake Health Director Nancy M. Welch, and it has absolutely no connection to meningococcal disease, a deadly bacterial illness that struck several young people - and killed one teenager in Hampton Roads earlier this year.
The word ``meningitis'' doesn't describe a particular disease. Meningitis is a condition - an inflammation of the tissue surrounding the brain - caused by many diseases. The recent outbreak could have been caused by more than one type of virus.
Meningococcal disease, the dangerous bacterial infection, can also cause meningitis.
``There's no relationship. They're two totally different organisms,'' said Welch.
Viral meningitis is far less dangerous, and none of its recent victims have become seriously ill, said Welch.
Symptoms include a stiff neck, bad headaches, low fever and vomiting. People can prevent the spread of the illness by following basic precautions, such as washing their hands frequently and covering their mouths when they sneeze. There are always a few cases of viral meningitis reported in Chesapeake each quarter. But the city has recently seen an unusual number - 10 since April. Last year, only eight cases were reported from April through August.
``We've had a slew of them,'' said John C. Schaefer, a doctor at Chesapeake General who specializes in infectious diseases.
There may be more cases out there that officials don't know about, said Schaefer. Because most victims recover on their own, the disease often isn't diagnosed.
``All bets are off if you had a sore throat and went to the doc-in-the-box to get penicillin,'' said Schaefer.
Penicillin and other antibiotics are useless against viruses. But Schaefer said patients may be given the medication if test results aren't clear and there's a possibility the illness has been caused by bacteria.
Welch said there's no apparent geographic link among the recent cases. Most victims were adults in their 20s and 30s, and most lived with a young child who had recently suffered a mild, unspecified gastrointestinal problem. The adults could have picked it up from their children, she said. Some types of the viral meningitis are spread by mosquitoes.
Welch said her department will be looking at samples of spinal fluid - if any were taken - and interviewing patients. However, officials are investigating the outbreak mainly as a medical curiosity. by CNB