Great Neck North Teacher Diagnosed With Bacterial Meningitis

UPDATED with corrections: A Great Neck North High School employee has been diagnosed a potentially severe form of bacterial meningitis, the Superintendent of Schools Teresa Prendergast said in a letter to parents on Tuesday.

Meningococcal disease is spread by close contact with the nose or throat discharges of an infected person. It can be spread through various ways, including through shared food, drink, eating utensils, kissing, smoking, exchanged nasal or oral secretions, or any sort of close face to face contact for more than four hours. More information on the disease cam be found on the New York State Department of Health website.

Great Neck Schools said there is "no need to panic." The letter notifying parents and school staff of this incident was required by the Nassau County Department of Health.

"Casual contact, as might occur in a regular classroom or office setting, is NOT usually significant enough to cause concerns," Prendergast said in the letter.

The district has contacted anyone found to be in contact with the individual. Those people already received a note to contact their physician immediately. The name of the infected person was not disclosed.

Symptoms of meningococcal disease include high fever, headache, vomiting, stiff neck and rash. These symptoms can appear between two to 10 days after exposure.

"Individuals who feel they have symptoms suggestive of the disease should contact their physician immediately and advise them that meningococcal meningitis has been diagnosed in the school," Prendergast said in the letter. "If you have additional questions or concerns, please contact the NHS nurse, Erin McCaffery at (516) 441-4710."

Editor's note: The infected individual is an employee not a student. Patch regrest this error

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