LAUSD Employee Dies Of Meningococcal Meningitis, County Health Officials Say
SOUTH GATE (CBSLA.com) — An employee in the Los Angeles Unified School District has died from a bacterial meningitis infection, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed Friday.
Health officials would not reveal the name of the employee. But a parent told CBS2's Rachel Kim that the woman was a third-grade teacher at Montara Avenue Elementary School in South Gate.
The parent said school and health officials met with parents on campus Friday night. One mother said she was given instructions on medication to give her child.
Meningococcal meningitis is a serious infection of the thin lining that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. It can be transmitted by direct contact with secretions.
"Public Health is working closely with LAUSD and the affected school to ensure the appropriate school contacts and other close contacts of the patient are identified and receive preventive antibiotics, and that information about meningococcal disease is available to the school community," the L.A. County Department of Public Health said in a statement.
Parents said they want the campus cleaned before allowing their children back to school and plan to hold a protest on campus Monday morning.