Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
PROVO — Health officials are investigating multiple cases of viral meningitis among students at Lone Peak High School, the Utah County Health Department said on Friday.
Health department spokeswoman Aislynn Tolman-Hill declined to say exactly how many students have fallen ill but said the number is "less than 10." At least two students have also been hospitalized, she said.
Meningitis is an inflammation of the tissue that covers the brain and spinal cord.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, viral meningitis is often less severe than bacterial meningitis. Whereas bacterial meningitis is serious and can be deadly, most people with viral meningitis get better on their own and experience mild symptoms such as fever, stiff neck, headache and vomiting, according to the CDC.
In a statement, county health officials reassured parents that an outbreak of viral meningitis is "very unlikely."
Close contact with someone who has viral meningitis can make someone sick, but only a small number of people who get infected with the viruses end up developing viral meningitis, according to the CDC.
Tolman-Hill said it is likely that the students became ill "well before school started." She encouraged people who notice meningitis symptoms to seek medical attention.
County health officials said prevention measures are similar to those of other viral illnesses: Wash your hands frequently, cover your mouth when you cough and stay home when you're sick.
They also encouraged students to stay up to date on vaccinations.
There are no vaccines that protect against the most common kind of viral meningitis. But vaccines are available for diseases like measles, mumps and influenza that can lead to viral meningitis, according to the CDC.
"Vaccinations not only protect us as individuals, but also protect the community as a whole," Steve Mickelson, nursing division director at the Utah County Health Department, said in a statement.