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Meningitis case confirmed at Tippecanoe Co. elementary school

TIPPECANOE COUNTY, Ind. (WLFI) The Tippecanoe County Health Department confirmed a case of bacterial meningitis in a kindergartner at Mintonye Elementary School.

The health department said the confirmed case is under medical supervision and the person is no longer contagious.

The school corporation has notified staff and families of students who came in contact with the student. They are considered at greater risk for developing meningitis. The health department will offer preventative antibiotics at a clinic at Mintonye on Thursday, Oct. 20. The clinic will run from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The health department is working with the Tippecanoe School Corporation and the Indiana State Department of Health on the case.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, bacterial meningitis is very serious and can be deadly. Death can occur in as little as a few hours. While most people with meningitis recover, permanent disabilities such as brain damage, hearing loss and learning disabilities can result from the infection.

For more info on bacterial meningitis, click here.