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The woman was from Maine; a UNH spokeswoman said she believed the student was a senior. She died at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital in Dover after being admitted Tuesday, said Jose Montero, state epidemiologist.
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| Tracking the next pandemic: Avian Flu Talk |
R.I. expands investigations into fatal infection |
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 Posted: January 04 2007 at 7:50am |
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Posted: January 04 2007 at 7:51am |
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Posted: January 04 2007 at 9:39am |
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MycoplasmaFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mycoplasma is a genus of small microorganisms that resemble bacteria which lack cell walls, but have many differences and are grouped differently. They can be parasitic or saprophytic. Several species are pathogenic in humans, including M. pneumoniae, which is an important cause of pneumonia and other respiratory disorders, and M. genitalium, which is believed to be involved in pelvic inflammatory diseases.
They are resistant to antibiotics that target cell wall synthesis, like penicillin.
The genus Mycoplasma is one of several genera within the class Mollicutes. Mollicutes are bacteria which have small genomes, lack a cell wall and have low GC-content (18-40 mol%).
There are over 100 recognised species of the genus
Mycoplasma.
Their genome size ranges from 0.6 - 1.35 megabase-pairs.
Mollicutes are parasites or commensals of humans, other animals including insects, and plants;
the genus Mycoplasma is by definition restricted to vertebrate hosts. Cholesterol is required for the growth of species of the genus Mycoplasma as well as certain other genera of mollicutes.
Their optimum growth temperature is often the temperature of their host if warmbodied (e.g. 37 degrees Celsius in humans) or ambient temperature if the host is unable to regulate its own internal temperature.
Analysis of 16S ribosomal RNA sequences as well as gene content strongly suggest that the mollicutes, including the mycoplasmas, are closely related to either the Lactobacillus or the Clostridium branch of the phylogenetic tree (Firmicutes sensu stricto).
Mycoplasmas are often found in research laboratories in cell culture often resulting from careless handling; they are relatively difficult to detect and remove from the cell lines and can skew experimental results. ............................................................................................
Mycoplasma and potato diseases
Interesting.... No English ... for the most pertinent info...just German and French...
Here is the French Translated to English....
Having summed up A certain number of diseases of potato is allocated in viruses on the only foundation of symptoms and transmission.
In 1967, similar organisms in mycoplasmes watch each other in a permanent way in tubes sieved out with several ill plants among which potato with symptoms of sorceress's broom. The same year they apply antibiotics and they acquire a remarkable effect of abolition of the developme ofsymptoms with tétracyclines.
These two facts make assume that mycoplasmes is agents of diseases of plants.
The presence of similar organisms in mycoplasmes in about 40 diseases appearing in many countries (Picture 1) and in some of their vectors (Picture 2) is at the root of this new concept of the etiology of several diseases of plants before allocated in viruses.
As regards potato, they discerned similar organisms in mycoplasmes in |
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Posted: January 04 2007 at 9:52am |
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Mycoplasma gallisepticum strain R(low) Genome Project
Mycoplasma gallisepticum is the primary etiologic agent responsible for chronic respiratory disease in chickens and infectious sinusitis in turkeys resulting in substantial economic losses to poultry producers throughout the world. The failure or limited protection of previous and current M. gallisepticum vaccines can be explained by the fact that little is known regarding the virulence determinants of this pathogen.
"Attenuations” of these modified live vaccines have not been defined at the molecular level. In order to speed-up the research Center of Excellence of Vaccine Research, University of Connecticut, supported by United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), launched in Spring of 2000 the
“M. gallisepticum genome project” using DNA from the virulent R strain.
This project was specifically aimed at discovering the genetic basis of its virulence in order to target genes for vaccine development and improve diagnostic means.
Mycoplasma gallisepticum is the primary etiologic agent responsible for chronic respiratory disease in chickens and infectious sinusitis in turkeys resulting in substantial economic losses to poultry producers throughout the world. The failure or limited protection of previous and current M. gallisepticum vaccines can be explained by the fact that little is known regarding the virulence determinants of this pathogen. "Attenuations” of these modified live vaccines have not been defined at the molecular level. In order to speed-up the research The complete genome sequence of Mycoplasma gallisepticum strain R, GenBank Accession #: AE015450, October 17th, 2002. |
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varn
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Posted: January 04 2007 at 10:29am |
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Greenwood proclaimed disease-free
Written by STERN, J. CHARLES Thu, Jan 04 07 By J. CHARLES STERN warwickonline.com Health officials believe they have killed off the virus that caused two Greenwood Elementary School second-graders to contract a rare form of encephalitis and remain convinced the school is safe for students to enter on Monday. The assurance comes just days after a second child at the school was diagnosed with the disease that earlier claimed the life of second-grader Dylan Gleavey. A third student from West Warwick has also been diagnosed with encephalitis. Rhode Island Health Director David R. Gifford said every student but one at the Greenwood School has been given a preventive antibiotic to prevent the spread of mycoplasma pneumonia, a bacterium that showed up in tests on all three students. A handful of Greenwood students suffering from other symptoms have also been found to carry the bacteria. “We believe we have contained the bacteria and stopped the spread of the disease,” Gifford said. On Saturday, the health department convinced School Supt. Robert Shapiro to close the Greenwood School for a week in order to isolate the disease from spreading to other schools or communities. As an added precaution the state ordered and paid for nearly 1,200 doses of doxycycline to be given free of charge to every Greenwood student. Health officials hoped the drugs would prevent the further spread of the disease and kill off the bacteria. The medicine was distributed despite the fact health officials were unsure if all the students were carrying the bacteria. Of the 272 students at Greenwood, 269 took the state dosage. Two students were already on the medicine while one student’s family declined the offer. Gifford said on Tuesday the decision to close the school was likely unnecessary, as the state’s sole hope in closing the school was to prevent the spread of the disease. The disease had already spread to West Warwick. Shapiro said he made the decision to close the school based on the spread of the disease and the panic that was circulating among parents in the community. “It was the right thing to do,” Shapiro said. “I was listening to the information presented and there were valid concerns.” The decision to close the school brought both praise and concern from parents and city officials. Councilman Charles “C.J.” Donovan Jr. said the decision was made too late, adding the school should have been closed in the week leading up to the start of winter vacation in December. “We were far too reactive than proactive,” Donovan said. “We received information late and the decision to close the school should have been made earlier.” Greenwood School Parent Teacher Association President Tracie Johnson disagreed. “The school was terrific,” Johnson said. “There was a constant presence to answer questions and the information was made available to everyone.” With all children treated, Gifford said Greenwood School is likely safe and disease-free. Shapiro said the school has been sterilized and letters have been mailed home to all parents urging proper hygiene. The best way to prevent the spread of an airborne disease is through proper hand washing and covering the mouth when coughing and sneezing. Mayor Scott Avedisian, who was at the school on Saturday and Sunday to answer parent questions, said the city was looking at placing alcohol gels in all classrooms to safeguard against the spread of disease. The gels can immediately kill germs without water. |
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Posted: January 04 2007 at 10:34am |
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http://www.broad.mit.edu/annotation/microbes/mycoplasma/background.htmlWhat is Mycoplasma mobile?Mycoplasmas are members of the class Mollicutes, a large group of bacteria that lack a cell wall and have a characteristically low G+C content (Razin et al. 1998).
These diverse organisms are parasites in a wide range of hosts,
including humans, animals, insects, plants,
and cells grown in tissue culture (Razin et al. 1998). Aside from their role as potential pathogens,
Mycoplasmas are of interest because they evolved from Gram-positive eubacteria by a drastic reduction of genome size,
resulting in the loss of many biosynthetic abilities. With genome sizes smaller than 1 Mb, they have been described as the "smallest free-living organisms", and are considered to be the best representatives for the concept of a minimal cell (Mushegian and Koonin 1996).
..........................................................................................................
The Mycoplasma mobile genome project
is a collaboration between George Church and the Broad Institute.
George Church, Professor at the Department of Genetics and Director of the Harvard-Lipper Center for Computational Genetics at Harvard Medical School (Cambridge, Massachusetts) leads an inter-disciplinary team of experts in the fields of biology, biophysics, computer science, mathematics, and technology development. Dr. Church's research group focuses on integrating biosystems-modeling with high-throughput data for haplotypes, RNA arrays, proteomics, and metabolites. The ultimate goal is to achieve more accurate and automated genomic biomedical and ecological engineering. The Eli and Edythe L. Broad Institute is a partnership among MIT, Harvard and affiliated hospitals and the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research. Its mission is to create the tools for genomic medicine and make them freely available to the world and to pioneer their application to the study and treatment of disease. |
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Posted: January 04 2007 at 10:36am |
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Home : News : Kent County Daily Times : Top Stories Top Stories Continuing updates: All Coventry, West Warwick and Warwick Schools closed 01/02/2007 Email to a friendPost a CommentPrinter-friendly Health officials continue to investigate illnesses - including encephalitis, meningitis and pneumonia - at schools in Coventry, Warwick and West Warwick. Advertisement Officials believe an infection of mycoplasma bacteria, which most typically causes walking pneumonia, lead to the encephalitis that killed 7-year-old Dylan Gleavey at Warwick's Greenwood School. It's also been linked to a second, non-deadly cases of encephalitis at Greenwood, and to another non-deadly case at West Warwick's Deering Middle School. Officials Thursday a case of meningitis at Hopkins Hill School in Coventry - not previously part of the investigation. Updates will be posted below as the investigation continues. The most recent updates are posted at the top of this list. * All Coventry, West Warwick and Warwick schools - public and parochia - have been closed because of what state Department of Health Director David M. Gifford called "an abundance of caution." Sports are closed down as well, and Warwick recreation has closed activities for school-aged children. See here for a complete story. (Updated as of 1:15 p.m) * Thursday morning, officials announced a case of meningitis at Hopkins Hill School in Coventry. * An informational meeting regarding the ongoing health investigation originally scheduled for this evening at Knotty Oak Middle School in Coventry will not take place, according to Maria Wah-Fitta, public information officer for the Rhode Island Department of Health. At this time, Wah-Fitta said, the meeting is not going to happen. If the department decides to hold it at a later date, it will make the information known, she said. * Free hand sanitizer bottles will be available to visitors of the Daily Times' office Thursday, Jan. 4, and possibly beyond. Call 821-7400 with any questions. * West Warwick's superintendent reports students who miss class this week because of concerns over the health investigation will not be penalized. Coventry's superintendent says he has not yet considered what to do about such absences. * Coventry schools Wednesday report slightly elevated absence rates at the school schools considered part of the Health Department investigation. Some schools in the district also saw what Superintendent Kenneth DiPietro described as very minor increases in absence ates. * The West Warwick Public Schools Department has posted a Frequently Asked Questions document, from the state Department of Health, on its site. * Dr. David Gifford, director of the state Department of Health, has suggested communities may be facing a more virulent strain of mycoplasma than normally seen - accounting for the unusual development into encephalitis in three local children. * State health officials are asking all schools in Rhode Island to examine their records for usually high absentee rates or signs of pneumonia. * Health department officials now confirm a student of Deering Middle School in West Warwick did suffer from encephalitis, but has since recovered. The student's illness had already been considered a suspected case of encephalitis. * Both the Hasbro Children's Hospital and the Kent Hospital say that while they haven't seen many additional patients with symptoms like those noted in the investigation, they have received an influx of phone calls from people with concerns. A Hasbro spokeswoman said callers were being directed to call their personal physicians. Also, several primary care providers are in contact with Hasbro's infectious disease specialists. * The state health department has further updated its materials for the general public, and has added a Frequently Asked Questions document for parents in West Warwick and Coventry. * School and state Health Department officials will make a media briefing at 4:30 p.m. today about the state of the investigation. Expect several more details shortly after that briefing. * Warwick Superintendent Robert Shapiro reports only one Greenwood School family has yet to fill out forms for antibiotics being distributed at that school. Officials had not expected to reach all families or staffers, noting some might see private physicians or abstain from treatment. * The Warwick School Department Web site is now linking to state Health Department materials on the investigation. * Coventry will host an informational meeting for parents Thursday, at 6:30 p.m., in the Knotty Oak Middle School auditorium. * Coventry Superintendent Kenneth DiPietro reported that from October through mid-December, about 50 students called out of Blackrock and Oak Haven schools with reported cases of pneumonia. In the same time period, the superintendent said, he would typically expect about 5 pneumonia-related absences from each school. DiPietro said he does not believe there have been any pneumonia-related absences since Dec. 15. Health officials do not yet know if mycoplasma bacteria is connected to the reported illnesses. * All Coventry schools have sent a note home to parents, detailing the situation. The note stresses that no children there have suffered reported cases of any advanced complications. * Deering Middle School in West Warwick held information sessions for parents Tuesday, to update them on the investigation there. * The state health department has updated its Frequently Asked Questions and media releases on mycoplasma bacteria, and the investigation in three local schools. The Kent County Daily Times' print edition stories on the investigation for Jan. 4 are: * Local school, state health officials keep on working * The best defense? Good hygiene * With much to communicate, districts' methods differ The Warwick Daily Times' print edition stories on the investigation for Jan. 4 are: * Attendance OK in Warwick schools * Districts used many methods to keep parents informed * Clean hands a key defense ©Kent County Daily Times 2007 Email to a friendPost a CommentPrinter-friendlyTop Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement. Please read our Privacy Policy ©2006 Kent County/Warwick Daily Times - a Journal Register Property. All Rights reserved. Local Newspapers - SoNewEngland SoNewEngland.com is your local connection to newspaper websites in New England. Continuing updates: All Coventry, West Warwick and Warwick Schools closed 01/02/2007 Email to a friendPost a CommentPrinter-friendly Health officials continue to investigate illnesses - including encephalitis, meningitis and pneumonia - at schools in Coventry, Warwick and West Warwick. Advertisement Officials believe an infection of mycoplasma bacteria, which most typically causes walking pneumonia, lead to the encephalitis that killed 7-year-old Dylan Gleavey at Warwick's Greenwood School. It's also been linked to a second, non-deadly cases of encephalitis at Greenwood, and to another non-deadly case at West Warwick's Deering Middle School. Officials Thursday a case of meningitis at Hopkins Hill School in Coventry - not previously part of the investigation. Updates will be posted below as the investigation continues. The most recent updates are posted at the top of this list. * All Coventry, West Warwick and Warwick schools - public and parochia - have been closed because of what state Department of Health Director David M. Gifford called "an abundance of caution." Sports are closed down as well, and Warwick recreation has closed activities for school-aged children. See here for a complete story. (Updated as of 1:15 p.m) * Thursday morning, officials announced a case of meningitis at Hopkins Hill School in Coventry. * An informational meeting regarding the ongoing health investigation originally scheduled for this evening at Knotty Oak Middle School in Coventry will not take place, according to Maria Wah-Fitta, public information officer for the Rhode Island Department of Health. At this time, Wah-Fitta said, the meeting is not going to happen. If the department decides to hold it at a later date, it will make the information known, she said. * Free hand sanitizer bottles will be available to visitors of the Daily Times' office Thursday, Jan. 4, and possibly beyond. Call 821-7400 with any questions. * West Warwick's superintendent reports students who miss class this week because of concerns over the health investigation will not be penalized. Coventry's superintendent says he has not yet considered what to do about such absences. * Coventry schools Wednesday report slightly elevated absence rates at the school schools considered part of the Health Department investigation. Some schools in the district also saw what Superintendent Kenneth DiPietro described as very minor increases in absence ates. * The West Warwick Public Schools Department has posted a Frequently Asked Questions document, from the state Department of Health, on its site. * Dr. David Gifford, director of the state Department of Health, has suggested communities may be facing a more virulent strain of mycoplasma than normally seen - accounting for the unusual development into encephalitis in three local children. * State health officials are asking all schools in Rhode Island to examine their records for usually high absentee rates or signs of pneumonia. * Health department officials now confirm a student of Deering Middle School in West Warwick did suffer from encephalitis, but has since recovered. The student's illness had already been considered a suspected case of encephalitis. * Both the Hasbro Children's Hospital and the Kent Hospital say that while they haven't seen many additional patients with symptoms like those noted in the investigation, they have received an influx of phone calls from people with concerns. A Hasbro spokeswoman said callers were being directed to call their personal physicians. Also, several primary care providers are in contact with Hasbro's infectious disease specialists. * The state health department has further updated its materials for the general public, and has added a Frequently Asked Questions document for parents in West Warwick and Coventry. * School and state Health Department officials will make a media briefing at 4:30 p.m. today about the state of the investigation. Expect several more details shortly after that briefing. * Warwick Superintendent Robert Shapiro reports only one Greenwood School family has yet to fill out forms for antibiotics being distributed at that school. Officials had not expected to reach all families or staffers, noting some might see private physicians or abstain from treatment. * The Warwick School Department Web site is now linking to state Health Department materials on the investigation. * Coventry will host an informational meeting for parents Thursday, at 6:30 p.m., in the Knotty Oak Middle School auditorium. * Coventry Superintendent Kenneth DiPietro reported that from October through mid-December, about 50 students called out of Blackrock and Oak Haven schools with reported cases of pneumonia. In the same time period, the superintendent said, he would typically expect about 5 pneumonia-related absences from each school. DiPietro said he does not believe there have been any pneumonia-related absences since Dec. 15. Health officials do not yet know if mycoplasma bacteria is connected to the reported illnesses. * All Coventry schools have sent a note home to parents, detailing the situation. The note stresses that no children there have suffered reported cases of any advanced complications. * Deering Middle School in West Warwick held information sessions for parents Tuesday, to update them on the investigation there. * The state health department has updated its Frequently Asked Questions and media releases on mycoplasma bacteria, and the investigation in three local schools. The Kent County Daily Times' print edition stories on the investigation for Jan. 4 are: * Local school, state health officials keep on working * The best defense? Good hygiene * With much to communicate, districts' methods differ The Warwick Daily Times' print edition stories on the investigation for Jan. 4 are: * Attendance OK in Warwick schools * Districts used many methods to keep parents informed * Clean hands a key defense ©Kent County Daily Times 2007 |
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Posted: January 04 2007 at 10:38am |
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This will always be a problem with schools... sadly.
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“We were far too reactive than proactive,” Donovan said. “We received information late and the decision to close the school should have been made earlier.”
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Posted: January 04 2007 at 12:19pm |
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"On some websites they have the arrival of encephalitis in 1916 previous to the Spanish Flu in 1918. They dont understand the correlation between the diseases but there definitely is one. "
BabyGirl,
Have you done any research on this? Probably difficult to do due to the date. I was just wondering how those that got encephalitis did when the Spanish Flu came around. Did it help the immune system?
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Posted: January 04 2007 at 1:00pm |
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State wants to track cases of pneumonia
11:42 AM EST on Thursday, January 4, 2007By Felice J. FreyerJournal Medical Writer Health officials are asking school departments around the state to help track cases of pneumonia, watching for any spread of the illness that caused encephalitis in three West Bay youngsters late last year. The state Department of Health and doctors from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are devising a system to detect any unusual incidence of mycoplasma pneumoniae, a common bacteria, among schoolchildren in Rhode Island. Mycoplasma rarely causes serious illness but mysteriously led to three cases of encephalitis in children in Warwick and West Warwick, one of whom died on Dec. 21. “We are continuing to work to determine if there is ongoing spread of mycoplasma, such as pneumonia or sinusitis,” said Dr. David R. Gifford, director of the state Department of Health. “We’re working on a more standardized way of collecting information on why kids are absent.” When the new protocol is in place, parents who call a school to report a child’s absence will be asked whether the child has pneumonia. If the answer is yes, the school will tell the Health Department. If more than a few cases are reported at any given school, health officials will contact the parents and the child’s pediatrician to confirm the pneumonia diagnosis, and then will consider additional testing. “We absolutely expect those schools to be reporting some cases,” Gifford said. “We want to see if it’s a lot.” At this point, there is no firm decision on what would constitute “a lot,” because mycoplasma pneumoniae is not normally tracked. “What we’re doing is looking to see a pattern, whether it looks different,” Gifford said. “It’s a challenge because we don’t have a baseline. …We don’t have any national data, either, to guide us on it.” The CDC has sent five doctors to assist the Health Department investigate the illnesses that occurred late last year, which are extremely puzzling. Mycoplasma pneumoniae usually causes symptoms resembling the common cold, which typically go away without treatment. Some people develop “walking pneumonia,” a mild form of pneumonia; sinusitis; or ear infections —all of which can be treated with antibiotics. Only in one-tenth of 1 percent of cases does a mycoplasma infection involve a central-nervous-system disorder such as encephalitis, a rare inflammation of the brain. But in two months, three children in Rhode Island developed encephalitis apparently caused by mycoplasma. Hoping to unravel the mystery, health officials are locating the families of children who said they had pneumonia and who attend schools in West Warwick and Coventry that experienced high levels of absenteeism in November and December. If they are able to confirm the pneumonia diagnoses with the children’s pediatricians, the investigators will ask for a throat swab and blood sample. The throat swab may pick up remaining bacteria from the illness, which will undergo DNA testing at a CDC laboratory. The blood test will detect antibodies to mycoplasma, indicating a likely infection. One possibility under investigation is that a new, more dangerous strain of mycoplasma developed in Rhode Island. But if no unusual number of new mycoplasma cases show up, “then I think it’s passed us by, whatever it was,” Gifford said. “That’s what I’m hoping.” The incubation period for mycoplasma is two to four weeks. Although no data is in yet, Gifford said that anecdotally, he’s hearing of a normal, expected level of walking pneumonia infections. Meanwhile, school officials in West Warwick and Coventry reported higher-than-normal absentee rates yesterday. But they emphasized that the spikes were due to parental concerns and not to any new illnesses. In West Warwick, 250 students district-wide stayed home from school yesterday, School Committee Chairman Daniel T. Burns, Jr. said. In Coventry, there were about three times as many daily absences than at this time last year, said schools Supt. Kenneth R. DiPietro. “About 50 percent of the cases were parents saying they are very cautious. So out of caution, some children are not attending school these first few days after vacation,” he said. Meanwhile yesterday, the state Senate adopted a resolution urging the state’s health and education departments to work with school committees’ and school superintendents’ associations to devise a method and policy for collecting information on school absenteeism, infectious diseases and “notifying parents when appropriate.” The resolution, introduced by Sen. John C. Revens, D-Warwick, envisioned the creation of a “standardized, statewide school-based syndromic surveillance reporting tool ... that will identify and report potential public health events in a timely manner.” With reports from staff writers Cynthia Needham and Katherine Gregg |
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Posted: January 04 2007 at 1:02pm |
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7 laws see the links above and the outbreaks were around the same time period.
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jdljr1
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Posted: January 04 2007 at 2:14pm |
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Health Scare Closes More Rhode Island Schools
By JOHN HOLUSHA Published: January 4, 2007 More than 21,000 students in public schools in three communities in Rhode Island were told today to stay home for the rest of the week after a child who attended one of the schools was admitted to a hospital with a probable case of meningitis. Health officials said the closing of schools in Coventry, Warwick and West Warwick was precautionary and said a decision would be made over the weekend whether to reopen on Monday. The decision came as a student from a school in Coventry was sent to a hospital with suspected meningitis and after a second grader from West Warwick died last month from a related disorder, encephalitis. Speaking at a televised news conference, Dr. David Gifford, head of the state’s health department said, that “with this recent case of meningitis, we have decided” to close the schools out of what he said was “an abundance of caution” until more information can be collected on patterns of infection. He said there was “high incidences of pneumonia” at the schools, which are south of Providence. According to the Department of Health’s Web site, investigators are looking into an outbreak of infection that usually causes “a mild form of pneumonia” commonly termed walking pneumonia. But it noted that in rare cases the infection can “cause serious illnesses such as encephalitis or meningitis.” More Articles in National » |
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John L
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jdljr1
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Posted: January 04 2007 at 2:22pm |
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School Is Shut After Outbreak of Encephalitis Kills a Pupil
Jodi Hilton for The New York Times Jamie Laboie, left, and Jarred Grant, among the children off from Greenwood Elementary as federal officials investigated the outbreak. By KATIE ZEZIMA Published: January 4, 2007 WARWICK, R.I., Jan. 3 — State and federal health officials are investigating an extremely rare outbreak of encephalitis here that killed a second grader last month and led officials to close his elementary school this week. Health officials said the cases of encephalitis, which is usually brought on by a virus and causes the brain to swell, are unusual because they appear to be caused by a common bacteria, mycoplasma pneumoniae, or walking pneumonia. “It’s very rare for someone to be hospitalized with mycoplasma, and it’s even more rare to see such a severe complication as encephalitis,” said Cynthia Whitney, acting branch chief for the respiratory diseases branch of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “What makes this so unusual is that more than one case has been linked to this outbreak of mycoplasma.” The second grader, Dylan Gleavey of Warwick, died of encephalitis on Dec. 21. A classmate of Dylan’s at Greenwood Elementary School became ill with meningitis that progressed to a mild form of encephalitis, said Dr. David R. Gifford, Rhode Island’s director of health. The classmate and a West Warwick middle school student who had encephalitis and walking pneumonia were recovering at home, Dr. Gifford said. Health officials also are investigating higher-than-normal absentee rates among students in two Coventry schools who were reported to have had symptoms of walking pneumonia. Over the weekend, Warwick officials turned Greenwood Elementary School into a makeshift clinic, swabbing throats and drawing blood from all but 3 of the 275 students, their families, teachers and staff members. Antibiotics were given to everyone who showed up. The school was closed after five students tested positive for walking pneumonia. Mayor Scott Avedisian said officials were keeping it closed for an extra week after Christmas break so the students would be apart for two weeks, well into the incubation time of one to three weeks. State officials said it was the first time a school had been closed for such an outbreak, and federal officials said they rarely intervened in cases of walking pneumonia. “I’ve been here for 13 years, and we have not shut down a school due to mycoplasma,” Ms. Whitney said. Mayor Avedisian said more than 1,400 rounds of antibiotics were dispensed and nine informational sessions were held for concerned parents. Parents were notified of the illness by computerized phone calls. Parents were upset, Mr. Avedisian said, but he said he believed they had been given enough information and the chance to ask questions. Rather than close additional schools, officials were stressing the importance of hand washing and advising people to sneeze into their arms rather than their hands. Lisa Freeman, 41, whose three children attend Greenwood Elementary, said her entire family was taking antibiotics. Her son, Stone, was in the same class as Dylan’s brother. “It was scary, definitely scary,” she said. “But I feel it was handled in a very professional way.” Ms. Freeman, her husband and children spent New Year’s Day getting throat cultures, and came back the next day for blood work. Doctors discovered that Stone had an ear infection, causing neighbors and concerned parents to call and see if he was feeling all right. “It’s very close-knit here,” Ms. Freeman said as a gaggle of neighborhood children played in her backyard. “I think it was the right decision to close school and put us all on antibiotics.” More Articles in National » |
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John L
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Posted: January 04 2007 at 3:05pm |
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Posted: January 04 2007 at 4:04pm |
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The Governor spoke at a press conference with a Health Dept official and an Infectious Disease Specialist from Hasbro Children's Hospital.
It was mainly to PACIFY people. Cannot blame them because people do some WACKY things when they panic.
Their suggestion is that students wash their hands better and use hand sanitizer more. If anyone has ever spent any time in the classroom you can envision all the students playing with Purell.
Do not know if there will be any more cases. They just kept remarking their moves were made out of "an abundance of caution". Am guessing whatever protocols they have in place to use during a pandemic they are following now.
2 things noteworthy:
1) Reporter asks Governor when the last time over 20,000 students were kept home from school. Governor replies 1918.
2) There are 6 CDC people on the ground there NOW and they have ordered more. WHY ?
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Posted: January 04 2007 at 4:13pm |
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Am quite sure these CDC folks on the ground know if these encephalitis outbreaks are happening elsewhere.
Does anyone know how to locate that information ?
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Posted: January 04 2007 at 4:29pm |
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BabyGirl, The Governors report is by far the creepiest and closest to home info I have seen to date. Thanks for all you effort in keeping us up to date.
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Posted: January 04 2007 at 6:54pm |
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This concerns me. If it was over, then why do they need more CDC people. |
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Beemom
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Joined: June 05 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 39 |
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Posted: January 04 2007 at 8:00pm |
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Babygirl, Thanks for taking the time to send out all the information. I appreciate your time. I live about 30 miles south of warwick. I work in a service industry. I am in close contact with many people. I do wear gloves and wash and disinfect constantly. However, I noticed at our computer I sometimes am not wearing gloves. I need to be more conscience.
Again, thanks
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mc
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Judy
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Joined: August 24 2006 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 402 |
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Posted: January 04 2007 at 8:33pm |
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This is beginning to sound way out there to me.
"State officials said it was the first time a school had been closed for such an outbreak, and federal officials said they rarely intervened in cases of walking pneumonia.
“I’ve been here for 13 years, and we have not shut down a school due to mycoplasma,” Ms. Whitney said. " They have said it appears to be mycoplasma, and then they state it as if it is definite. And this:" ...The blood test will detect antibodies to mycoplasma, indicating a likely infection. " They already know what the blood test will reveal?
"It’s very rare for someone to be hospitalized with mycoplasma, and it’s even more rare to see such a severe complication as encephalitis,” said Cynthia Whitney, acting branch chief for the respiratory diseases branch of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “What makes this so unusual is that more than one case has been linked to this outbreak of mycoplasma.”
Maybe that is why there are so many people from CDC needed?
I hope we hear more on this.
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If ignorance is bliss, what is chocolate?
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Posted: January 04 2007 at 11:04pm |
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http://www.promedmail.org/pls/promed/f?p=2400:1000
Mayor Avedisian said more than 1400 rounds of antibiotics were dispensed
and 9 informational sessions were held for concerned parents. Parents were notified of the illness by computer-generated phone calls.  ouch .........[Byline: Katie Zezima] -- Brent Barrett <salbrent@sbcglobal.net> [_Mycoplasma pneumoniae_ belongs to the class of bacteria that are especially notable for the total lack of a cell wall. Because of their small size and the presence of a deformable surface membrane, they can pass through filters with pore diameters that would retain non-deformable cell-wall-covered bacteria and therefore, were first thought to be viruses. They do replicate in cell-free media and contain both DNA and RNA, which distinguishes them from viruses. Outbreaks of respiratory disease with pneumonia caused by _M. pneumoniae_ do occur especially in closed groups of susceptible individuals such as a military recruit camp or a school. Data on such events can be found in the postings from a cluster of mycoplasmal respiratory disease in the USA midwest in 1998 (See alsos listed below). Antimicrobial prophylaxis with a macrolide (such as erythromycin, azithromycin, or clarithromycin) or a tetracycline has been used in such outbreaks or in endemic settings with apparent success. It is not clear from the posting what serologic tests were used to diagnose mycoplasmal infection in any of the 3 "index" cases or in the 5 other cases found during screening. Nonrespiratory manifestations of human _M. pneumoniae_ infection are quite variable, but central nervous system (CNS) manifestations are said to be the most common (1-10 percent of overt mycoplasma infections ill enough to be hospitalized) and can be life-threatening. In one review encompassing 87 cases of CNS disease related to _M. pneumoniae_ infection, encephalitis was the most common (33 of 87, or 38 percent) (1). Aseptic meningitis, cerebellar ataxia, seizures, Guillain-Barre syndrome, and neuropathy are among other potential manifestations of CNS disease related to _M. pneumoniae_. A number of more recent reviews have been published (2-4). Although unusual, it would be expected that during an outbreak of mycoplasmal respiratory disease, more than one case of encephalitis could occur. It is possible that certain strains of the organism may be more neurotropic as well. It also should be noted that it remains unclear whether the encephalitis is caused by direct invasion of the organism into the brain or through an immunologic or toxic mediated process. Therefore, appropriate management with antimicrobials and/or immunomodulating therapies is uncertain. 1. Ponka A: Central nervous system manifestations associated with serological evidence of Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Scand J Infect Dis 1980;12: 175-84. 2. Bitnun A, Ford-Jones E, Blaser S, Richardson S: Mycoplasma pneumoniae encephalitis. Sem Pediatr Infect Dis 2003;14: 96-107. 3. Guleria R, Nisar N, Chawla TC, Biswas NR: Mycoplasma pneumoniae and central nervous system complications: a review. J Lab Clin Med 2005;146: 55-63. 4. Tsiodras S, Kelesidis I, Kelesidis T, et al: Central nervous system manifestations of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infections. J Infect 2005;51: 343-54. - Mod.LL] [see also: 1998 ---- Mycoplasma pneumonia, outbreak? - USA (03) 19981118.2235 Mycoplasma pneumonia, outbreak? - USA (Kansas): RFI 19981116.2217] .................ll/pg/dk |
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Posted: January 05 2007 at 3:40am |
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The school closings affected students in three communities south of Providence: 11,500 in Warwick; 6,000 in Coventry; and 4,000 in West Warwick. The three communities have had an unusually high incidence of pneumonia, Gifford said. The case of suspected meningitis was reported Wednesday in an unidentified student in Coventry."walking pneumonia," .......... see last paragraph.
Epidemic Hazard - North-America
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| Event summary | |||
| GLIDE Number | EH-20070105-9167-USA | ||
| Event type | Epidemic Hazard | Date / time [UTC] | 05/01/2007 - 08:08:33 (Military Time, UTC) |
| Country | USA | Area | - |
| County / State | Rhode Island | City | Providence |
| Cause of event | Unknow | Log date | 05/01/2007 - 08:08:33 (Military Time, UTC) |
| Damage level | Heavy  |
Time left | - |
| Latitude: | N 41° 50.298 | Longitude: | W 71° 26.261 |
| Number of deaths: | Not or Not data | Number of injured persons: | Not or Not data |
| Number of missing persons: | Not or Not data | Number of infected persons | - |
| Number of evacuated persons: | Not or Not data | Summary: | 0 persons * |
| DESCRIPTION | |||
| Public schools in the state of Rhode Island canceled classes Thursday and Friday for more than 20,000 students after the death of a second-grader from encephalitis and a suspected case of meningitis. Another 2,600 students were kept from school by the Catholic Diocese of Providence, which closed eight schools in three communities as a precaution. No cases of meningitis or encephalitis have been reported among the students, said diocese spokesman Michael Guilfoyle. Health experts are trying to determine whether the cases are connected. Meningitis is a dangerous inflammation of the membranes around the brain and spinal cord. Encephalitis is an inflammation of the brain. "Given the parents’concerns and our concerns, we felt that out of abundance of caution we would keep schools closed for the next two days," said Dr. David Gifford, state public health director. The school closings affected students in three communities south of Providence: 11,500 in Warwick; 6,000 in Coventry; and 4,000 in West Warwick. The three communities have had an unusually high incidence of pneumonia, Gifford said. The case of suspected meningitis was reported Wednesday in an unidentified student in Coventry. Also, two weeks ago, Dylan Gleavey, a Warwick elementary school student, died of encephalitis. A classmate of hers and a girl at a West Warwick school also contracted encephalitis but have since recovered. Dylan's encephalitis was caused by "walking pneumonia," a common illness that in rare cases can lead to meningitis or encephalitis. Doreen Simao of Coventry said she had been sending her 5-year-old son, Malakie, to kindergarten each day with a small bottle of hand sanitizer because of the illnesses. Joanne Grace, the mother of a 5-year-old Coventry girl, said officials "definitely did the right thing." "There's too much of a risk for someone to get something potentially fatal," Grace said.More epidemiologists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headed to the state to assist the half-dozen scientists already in Rhode Island. Health investigators said they will spend the next few days talking to school nurses and looking for possible additional cases in hospitals. | |||
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Posted: January 05 2007 at 3:47am
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Posted: January 05 2007 at 3:54amFor students, the pre-dawn decision to cancel school in three West Bay communities was something to celebrate — extra time in the sunshine or at the mall.
But for their parents, the cancellations meant another day of anxieties and mixed messages.
In Warwick, West Warwick and Coventry, recreation centers and daycare facilities took their lead from schools and closed, while parks, libraries and — above all — doctors’ offices saw unexpected midweek traffic.
Overall, parents expressed relief at the three districts’ last-minute decisions to cancel school yesterday and today as a precaution against a highly-publicized illness which left a 7-year-old Warwick boy dead last month.
“I think it was probably a good call until they know exactly what’s going on,” said Jamie McEvoy, of Coventry, who took her children to the Warwick Mall instead. Like so many parents, she’s heard the Health Department’s briefings and knows her two children should be safe, as long as they take the proper hygienic precautions. But she admits she felt reassured when she turned on the television and learned that officials had closed the Coventry schools.
“I’m glad they’re investigating it,” said Rhonda Rezendes, who was at a Warwick supermarket with her son Dillon, 8, a student at Coventry’s John F. Horgan Elementary School. “Better safe than sorry.”
But for some parents that relief did little to alleviate worries about the illnesses and the school departments’ responses to them.
“I don’t like it,” said Lisa Grelewicz, whose 8-year-old daughter Kathleen attends Christ the Redeemer Academy, in West Warwick. “If they knew of cases of this months ago, why are they just now closing schools? Closing the schools now won’t do any good because the virus is already out in the community.”
For those with sick children, the anxieties were magnified.
Perrin Galli’s daughter Chelsea — who with her twin sister, Lindsey, attends Warwick’s Toll Gate High School — had bronchitis and is already on antibiotics, but that doesn’t quell Galli’s fears about what might happen next.
“How quickly could my daughter’s bronchitis turn into something else? My question is, if it is spreading, how long would it take for it to go around?”
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are investigating an unusual outbreak of mycoplasma pneumoniae, common bacteria that do not typically cause serious illness.
Mycoplasma has been linked to three cases of encephalitis, a rare and dangerous inflammation of the brain, which occurred in three children from Warwick and West Warwick in November and December, including 7-year-old Dylan Gleavey, a student at Warwick’s Greenwood Elementary School, who died from the illness. Eight CDC officials are in Rhode Island studying the nature of the connection.
Dr. John Machata, medical director of the Thundermist Health Center in West Warwick, said it’s natural for parents to be worried.
“I am acknowledging their fears and trying to answer their questions and give them information,” Machata said. Since news of the outbreak surfaced a week ago, he’s treated dozens of children whose parents worried that minor coughs and colds might turn serious.
Machata credited the Health Department’s current education campaign as helping to avoid widespread panic. “But the Health Department’s data is incomplete. When you don’t know what’s going on, it ups the ante. So it’s rational that parents are flipping out.”
Bleary-eyed school officials in Coventry, Warwick and West Warwick spent yesterday trying to further calm fears, while juggling calls from national news media. The decision to cancel classes in all three districts was a joint effort, made after dozens of early-morning discussions on just an hour or two of sleep.
Warwick students were notified of the news by an automated telephone call that rang in quiet homes at 5:30 a.m. But families in West Warwick and Coventry were left to learn of the cancellations by chance — bulletins on television, or waiting at the bus stop for a ride that never showed.
West Warwick officials said they tried to use their phone tree but experienced problems.
A team of administrators and support staff assembled at West Warwick High School at about 4 a.m. to begin contacting parents via an automated call system. With only one system and roughly 2,700 families to reach, however, Schools Supt. David P. Raiche said few families had been contacted by the scheduled start of the school day.
By midday yesterday, two systems — at the high school and Deering Middle School — were being used to contact parents, Raiche said. All parents within the system should have received a call by yesterday evening saying that school will again be closed today and asking families to call the school nurse should children develop any pneumonia-like illnesses.
Warwick schools were expected to send out a similar message last night.
For all the chatter yesterday, the hallways at local schools were filled with an unusual silence.
“It almost doesn’t feel like I’m in a school,” said Denise Beauchamp, who came to Deering Middle School (where a third case of encephalitis was confirmed earlier this week) to pick up homework for her three children.
Beauchamp said she made the decision on Tuesday to keep her children out of school for the rest of the week after school officials told parents that it would be an excused absence.
“The risk just wasn’t worth it,” she said. “And when will they know it’s safe to send the students back to school? Will it be safe Monday? How will they know?”
“How quickly could my daughter’s bronchitis turn into something else?”
“I am acknowledging their fears and trying to answer their questions and give them information.”
“…It was probably a good call [to cancel] until they know exactly what’s going on.”
“How quickly could my daughter’s bronchitis turn into something else?”
“I am acknowledging their fears and trying to answer their questions and give them information.”
“…It was probably a good call [to cancel] until they know exactly what’s going on.”
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Posted: January 05 2007 at 3:56am
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| Fort Myers boy, 11, dies of infectious disease By Joel Moroney jmoroney@news-press.com Originally posted on December 21, 2006
An 11-year-old Fort Myers boy was declared brain dead and removed from life support today after falling ill from an infectious disease at school on Friday, according to the boy's father, Frank Gleason. | |||||||||||
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Posted: January 05 2007 at 7:29am
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Posted: January 05 2007 at 7:41am
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Posted: January 05 2007 at 7:45amSchool Aide Dead; Meningitis Suspected, Antibiotics For Kids
Friday, December 29, 2006
WBAL Radio
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The death of an instructional assistant Friday afternoon of presumed infectious meningitis has led to a call from the Baltimore Health Department for children in pre-K and kindergarten classes in one city school to receive antibiotics.
The health department says that assistant Eboni Brooks died at the University of Maryland Medical Center, and that tests "strongly suggest" that she was infected with the meningococcus bacteria.
Brooks worked with kindergarten and pre-K children at Lockerman Bundy Elementary School on North Pulaski Street. Dr. Kima Taylor of the city health department tells WBAL News that 53 students, along with roommates and other close associates of Brooks should get the preventive antibiotic treatment.
Taylor and other experts say that transmitting the bacteria is not easy. That is why they recommend treatment only for those with sustained and continuous face to face contact with Eboni Brooks for a minimum of four hours since last week.
Also in line for treatment is anyone who had direct exposure to saliva and other secretions from the patient, or who may have shared a cup or similar utensil with Brooks since last week.
The health department says that children or others who had close contact with Brooks and who now show symptoms such as fever, muscle aches or flu-like problems should seek immediate medical treatment.
A free antibiotic clinic for Lockerman Bundy pre-K and kindergarten students is scheduled for Saturday from 6:30 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. at the health department's outreach center, 211 East 25th Street.
People with questions should call Baltimore's 311 service or 410-396-3100 and ask for meningitis staff on call. The staff is available until 12 midnight Friday night and again Saturday morning starting at 6:30 a.m. by telephone.
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Posted: January 05 2007 at 7:52amBy Associated Press | January 4, 2007
DURHAM, N.H. -- A 20-year-old University of New Hampshire student died yesterday of possible bacterial meningitis, and health officials have been tracing her activities over the last few days and notified people who were with her.
State officials say the woman may have traveled in three other states while she was contagious.
"The community at large is not at risk," Montero said. "We have already identified what we believe are the high-risk people so they can get the appropriate antibiotics."
Some forms of bacterial meningitis are contagious. The bacteria are spread through saliva, "so those who would be at high risk would be those who shared food and beverages, kissed, or used the same utensils," Montero said. "Casual contact is not a risk factor for this disease."
It will take 48 to 72 hours for tests to be completed.
John Stephen, commissioner of the Department of Health and Human Services, said New Hampshire officials are working with Maine officials on the case. "We're going to make sure we continue to investigate this matter," he said.
UNH said pending confirmation from the Department of Health and Human Services of meningitis as the cause of death, the school is prepared to provide appropriate education to students when they return from the holiday break.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, meningitis is an infection of the fluid of a person's spinal cord and the fluid that surrounds the brain. It is usually caused by a viral or bacterial infection.
Symptoms include high fever, headache, stiff neck, and sometimes a rash. Other symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, discomfort looking into bright lights, confusion, and sleepiness.
New Hampshire averages five to 15 cases of bacterial meningitis each year. Typically, 10 percent of those who acquire bacterial meningitis die.
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Posted: January 05 2007 at 7:56am
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Posted: January 05 2007 at 7:27pm BabyGirl wrote: |
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Posted: January 05 2007 at 10:17pmMajor diseases caused by the Flaviviridae family include:
St. Louis Encephalitis is a disease caused by the mosquito borne St. Louis Encephalitis virus. St. Louis encephalitis virus is related to Japanese encephalitis virus. This disease mainly affects the United States. Occasional cases have been reported from Canada and Mexico.
Mosquitoes, from the genus Culex, become infected by
The Flaviviridae are a family of viruses that are primarily spread through arthropod vectors (mainly ticks and mosquitoes). They include the following genera:
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Posted: January 05 2007 at 11:13pm
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