WASHINGTON — A D.C. preschool and kindergarten school is taking precautions after a teacher was reportedly diagnosed with viral meningitis.
The principal of the Peabody Primary Campus on Capitol Hill sent a letter to parents Monday, stating that the virus was discovered last week. The letter does not specifically indicate who contracted the virus, but ABC7 News reports it is a teacher.
The letter states the school is taking every precaution to ensure safety, and had up to six custodians disinfecting surfaces Monday. It is not clear why the school was not disinfected last week, when the virus was reported.
Viral meningitis is an infection that causes inflammation of the tissues that cover the brain and spinal cord. According to experts, symptoms can include fever, severe headache, stiff neck and nausea.
The University of Maryland also alerted students to viral meningitis on campus last week.
Letter sent to parents:
Dear members of the Peabody Community,At Peabody we highly value and are committed to fostering a learning environment where students feel safe and secure. We also want to clearly communicate with parents about issues when they arise.
On the next page, you will find a copy of a letter from the Department of Health regarding meningitis.
Please read this letter as it contains very important information. However, we understand that this illness is sure to raise many emotions, concerns and questions for our entire school, especially our students, so we want to share the steps we have taken to protect our community.
To be clear, we have taken and are continuing to take every precaution we can in an effort to ensure the health and safety of our students and staff. Since this morning, we have had between three and six custodians in our school building disinfecting surfaces that children and staff members may touch. Cleaning will occur throughout the day and we are scheduling more intensive cleaning this evening.
We also plan to reinforce our cleaning protocols in our classrooms to ensure that students and staff are taking the proper steps regarding personal hygiene.
Parents should remind their children to wash their hands frequently, but especially before preparing food or drink or after using the bathroom. Wash anything that has been in contact with an ill person with hot soapy water and a mild bleach solution.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the steps we are taking at Peabody to address this situation, please feel free to contact me. If you have any questions regarding meningitis, please refer to the contact information on the next page. Thank you again for your cooperation and support.
Sincerely, Dawn Clemens, Principal, Peabody Primary Campus of the Capitol Hill Cluster
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Office of the Director Division of Epidemiology – Disease Surveillance and Investigation October 27, 2014
Dear Parent/Guardian:
A case of viral meningitis was recently reported at Peabody Primary Campus of the Capitol Hill Cluster Community.
Viral meningitis is an infection that is caused by one of several different viruses. It causes inflammation of the tissues that cover the brain and spinal cord. It is a serious but rarely fatal disease in persons with a normal immune system. Many different viruses can cause meningitis. The most common cause of viral meningitis is a group of viruses known as enteroviruses.
Symptoms may not be the same for everyone. The more common symptoms include fever, severe headache, stiff neck, bright lights that hurts the eyes, drowsiness or confusion and nausea and vomiting. A person may have some or all symptoms. Often symptoms of viral and bacterial meningitis (a very serious and life threatening illness) can be the same. Therefore, it is important to see a physician if you believe you could have any form of meningitis.
Antibiotics are not used to treat viral meningitis. Most patients with viral meningitis, caused by enteroviruses, recover completely on their own. The most effective means to control the spread of viruses is to practice good hand washing frequently.
If you have questions or concerns, please contact your health care provider or call your school nurse at (202) 730-1681. Additionally, please consult your health care provider if your child develops any of the above-mentioned symptoms and also notify your child’s school nurse.
Sincerely, John M. Grant, M.D. Senior Infectious Disease Epidemiologist
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