Staffers spent Wednesday morning scrubbing and disinfecting classrooms at La Porte elementary school after a student came down with bacterial meningitis.
Meningitis is extremely dangerous and can even be deadly if it's not caught early enough.
That's why the district is advising parents to take precaution now.
5-year-old Cheyanna Meader is recovering from what her mother said was a near- death reaction to bacterial meningitis.
"The disease itself it can cause death blindness and brain damage especially when seizures accompany it and she did have seizures with it," said Becky Meader.
Becky Meader came to the school Wednesday morning specifically to talk to reporters. She wanted to update the public and classmates on her daughter's progress.
"She's no longer contagious she's up in a playroom as we speak and she's doing excellent," said Meader.
Meader said the symptoms started Friday with a fever.
Then she got a rash.
"I took her to the emergency room and they gave her some medicine - she had a slight seizure and we called the paramedics and they said everything was fine," she said.
But she clearly wasn't, Meader said when the 5-year-old started having neck pain they returned to the hospital and that's when it was confirmed, that she had meningitis which is an inflammation of the tissue around the brain and spinal cord.
It's also bacteria, doctors say, many of us carry, but in a small few the body can't fight it.
While doctors say very close contact, like kissing or sharing a drink spreads the bacteria, they're still taking extra measures, like encouraging all 18 students in Cheyanna's class to get an antibiotic, to ensure everyone's safety.
"So, it's okay for the kids to go to school, the school itself is not contaminated the air is not contaminated children who were in class are not capable of spreading," said Dr. Carolyn Fruthaler of the Harris County Public Health and Environmental Services.
Dr. Fruthaler said meningitis is preventable by practicing good hygiene; washing hands often, coughing or sneezing into the crook of your arm or tissue and not sharing drinks or food.
"So, what parents want to look for is that high fever, bad headache and stiff neck if that occurs they want to have their child evaluated by a medical provider very quickly," she said.
This year all college freshmen were required to have a meningitis vaccine, but Dr. Fruthaler said it's not required for school-aged students because they don't have the same close contacts with others.
Cheyanna's mom said while she is recovering, she still has to stay in the hospital for at least the next 14 days to continue medical treatment.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends meningococcal vaccination for all adolescents 11-18 years of age.
For more information click here.
Meningitis is extremely dangerous and can even be deadly if it's not caught early enough.
That's why the district is advising parents to take precaution now.
5-year-old Cheyanna Meader is recovering from what her mother said was a near- death reaction to bacterial meningitis.
"The disease itself it can cause death blindness and brain damage especially when seizures accompany it and she did have seizures with it," said Becky Meader.
Becky Meader came to the school Wednesday morning specifically to talk to reporters. She wanted to update the public and classmates on her daughter's progress.
"She's no longer contagious she's up in a playroom as we speak and she's doing excellent," said Meader.
Meader said the symptoms started Friday with a fever.
Then she got a rash.
"I took her to the emergency room and they gave her some medicine - she had a slight seizure and we called the paramedics and they said everything was fine," she said.
But she clearly wasn't, Meader said when the 5-year-old started having neck pain they returned to the hospital and that's when it was confirmed, that she had meningitis which is an inflammation of the tissue around the brain and spinal cord.
It's also bacteria, doctors say, many of us carry, but in a small few the body can't fight it.
While doctors say very close contact, like kissing or sharing a drink spreads the bacteria, they're still taking extra measures, like encouraging all 18 students in Cheyanna's class to get an antibiotic, to ensure everyone's safety.
"So, it's okay for the kids to go to school, the school itself is not contaminated the air is not contaminated children who were in class are not capable of spreading," said Dr. Carolyn Fruthaler of the Harris County Public Health and Environmental Services.
Dr. Fruthaler said meningitis is preventable by practicing good hygiene; washing hands often, coughing or sneezing into the crook of your arm or tissue and not sharing drinks or food.
"So, what parents want to look for is that high fever, bad headache and stiff neck if that occurs they want to have their child evaluated by a medical provider very quickly," she said.
This year all college freshmen were required to have a meningitis vaccine, but Dr. Fruthaler said it's not required for school-aged students because they don't have the same close contacts with others.
Cheyanna's mom said while she is recovering, she still has to stay in the hospital for at least the next 14 days to continue medical treatment.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends meningococcal vaccination for all adolescents 11-18 years of age.
For more information click here.
