TUNICA, Miss. (AP) – The Mississippi Department of Health says a 7-year-old elementary school student has died from bacterial meningitis, but cautions the strain is not contagious.
WREG-TV in Memphis (http://bit.ly/1GoW3wh) reports the student attended Tunica Elementary. His identity hasn’t been released.
Health officials distributed free antibiotics to about 80 students Thursday who had been in close contact with the boy. Officials say the treatment is out of an abundance of caution.
Bacterial meningitis is an infection of the lining of the brain which causes sudden fever, severe headache and neck stiffness. It can be spread through saliva or mucus but is not as contagious as the cold or flu virus.