There is no health risk in the Bradford Area School District,
according to state health and district officials.

Superintendent Sandra Romanowski said Thursday afternoon that an
official with the state Department of Health notified the district
that “there is no danger to the school, no health risk to the
school.”

Parents and officials alike became concerned about a possible
outbreak of meningitis Tuesday when a caller phoned WESB radio
about a sick child at George G. Blaisdell Elementary School.

Romanowski said a child was tested for meningitis, but as of
Thursday, they didn’t know more. Due to HIPAA regulations on what
is released regarding someone’s health care, it was not immediately
clear if the student tested positive for meningitis, but was not a
danger to the school, or tested negative.

The superintendent said that if there was a danger to the
students and staff, the Department of Health would be mandated by
law to notify school officials. She added the notification on
Thursday was probably a courtesy by the Department of Health.

Romanowski also addressed a rumor about scarlet fever in the
school district.

“Nobody has heard about the scarlet fever,” she said. “If they
do, it’s a secret to everybody.”

Richard McGarvey, director of communications for the Department
of Health, was not available Thursday afternoon.

Both meningitis and scarlet fever are contagious – one in 10
people who contract bacterial meningitis die, McGarvey said earlier
this week.

There is also viral meningitis and chemical meningitis.

Romanowski said if someone was diagnosed with bacterial
meningitis, the Department of Health would probably recommend
people close to the person affected be treated with
antibiotics.

Meningitis – an infection of the fluid of person’s spinal cord
and the fluid that surrounds the brain – can be transmitted through
saliva. This may include eating or drinking from something after
the infected person or by kissing the individual, McGarvey
said.

Scarlet fever is spread much the same way, according to the CDC,
since the germ is carried in the mouth and nasal fluids.

“If you touch your mouth, nose or eyes after touching something
that has these fluids on them, you may become ill,” the CDC Web
site said. “If you drink from the same glass or eat from the same
plate as the sick person, you could also become ill.”

Symptoms of meningitis include a spike in temperature, swollen
glands, a prominent headache and a stiff neck.

Scarlet fever is caused by a bacteria called A streptococcus,
the same bacteria that causes strep throat, according to the
CDC.

The most common symptoms of scarlet fever are a rash on the
chest and abdomen that may spread; the face is flushed with a pale
area around the lips; the throat is very red and sore and may have
white or yellow patches; a fever of 101 degrees Fahrenheit or
higher; swollen glands in the neck; and a whitish coating can
appear on the surface of the tongue, according to the CDC.

The best way to keep from getting sick, according to the CDC, is
to wash hands often and avoid sharing eating utensils.