YARMOUTH, Maine — A second case of viral meningitis was confirmed Friday in Yarmouth schools.
More than a dozen cases have been reported in southern Maine schools since mid-September.
Five cases of viral meningitis have hit Massabesic High School in Waterboro since school started this year, says Principal Christian Elkington.
"We have not seen anything like this in all the years I've been here, to be quite honest," he says.
Cases have cropped up in various York County schools, from SAD 60 to RSU 57, to Sanford schools. And this week two cases were reported in Yarmouth.
Though it may take some schools by surprise, Dr. Stephen Meister, vice president of the Maine Chapter of American Academy of Pediatrics, says this is not a new thing.
"This is not out of the ordinary," he says. "We see these kinds of infections every year this time of year."
Meningitis is a term used when the tissue that covers the brain and spinal cord swells. There are many different types, but viral is the most common and generally the least severe.
It causes symptoms such as headaches, vomiting and sensitivity to light, and most people recover on their own within 7-10 days.
"Good and frequent handwashing," is the best way to prevent it, Meister says. As is keeping your hands away from your face and coughing and sneezing into your arm.
There are no immunizations per se for viral meningitis. But Kate Colby, program manager for child health at MaineHealth, says that viruses associated with diseases such as measles and mumps can also cause meningitis, so keeping those vaccinations up to date is a good idea.
"It's a good reminder that although not all viral meningitis can be prevented by vaccines, we do have several vaccines available that can be a good source of prevention," she says.
There are vaccines for the more rare, but potentially deadly bacterial meningitis. State epidemiologist Dr. Siiri Bennett says those symptoms are similar to viral meningitis, but more severe.
"Sudden onset of fever, stiff neck, nausea, vomiting, lethargy," she says. "Things a little more unusual than the common cold — you want to have it checked out."
Because while bacterial meningitis is more serious than viral meningitis, Bennett says, it's also treatable.
