THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, September 14, 1995 TAG: 9509140399
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MARIE JOYCE, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Short : 47 lines
Norfolk has been hit by an outbreak of viral meningitis that has been reported in Chesapeake and Virginia Beach.
Viral meningitis is a flulike illness, usually mild. It is not related to the deadly bacterial disease that killed a local high school athlete early this year.
The term ``meningitis'' doesn't describe a particular disease. Meningitis is an inflammation of the lining of the brain that can be caused by many organisms, including many types of viruses.
Viral meningitis typically occurs most often in late summer and early fall, but South Hampton Roads has seen many more cases than usual this year.
In Norfolk, hospitals and other medical facilities have reported 106 cases since June 1. That's more than twice the number seen for the same period last year. Some of the cases were residents of other cities who sought treatment in Norfolk, the city's Health Department said.
So far this week, the Norfolk health department has received reports of two new cases of the illness. One victim is a student at Northside Middle School and one attends Granby High School.
Because reports usually make it to the health department a week or more after diagnosis, the children probably have already recovered and returned to school, said Dr. Valerie Stallings, Norfolk health director.
There is no vaccine for viral meningitis, and most people recover on their own. Many never even realize they have the illness, attributing their symptoms to the flu.
Even so, parents whose children show signs of the virus should contact their family doctor, since the symptoms could signal a variety of illness, some serious, said Stallings.
``Don't try to diagnose these things yourself,'' she said. ILLUSTRATION: SYMPTOMS
Symptoms of viral meningitis include a stiff neck, bad headaches,
fever and vomiting. People can prevent the spread of the illness by
following basic health practices, such as washing their hands often
and covering their mouths when they sneeze.
by CNB