Two children have been diagnosed with meningococcal disease in Boston. Here’s what to know.
“It was extremely scary. Within an hour, everything had changed."
Two young children in Boston have been diagnosed with meningococcal disease, an infectious disease that spreads through saliva, city officials said Wednesday.
Both cases involve Horizons for Homeless Children daycare centers, which specialize in serving children who have experienced homelessness, WHDH reports.
According to the Boston Public Health Commission, it is not known if the two cases are connected. But all people who were known to have been in contact with the two children have received antibiotics “as a precautionary measure to reduce the risk of further infection,” the commission said in a statement.
“The last date that either case was at one of the day care centers was October 18 and no secondary cases have been identified at this time,” the statement says.
Meningococcal disease is caused by a bacterial infection and spreads through saliva, health officials said. Symptoms can develop within 10 days after exposure, but they often show sooner, or within less than four days, the commission said.
“Symptoms develop rapidly and include nausea, vomiting, increased sensitivity to light, and altered mental status or confusion,” officials said.
Kimberly Cook, mother of a 20-month-old, Lucas, said her son woke up Sunday sick after appearing normal and healthy, WHDH reports.
“It was extremely scary,” she told the news station. “Within an hour, everything had changed. He had developed this purple rash all over his body.”
He was diagnosed after he was brought to Boston Children’s Hospital, she said.
“We’ve been fighting since Sunday night with the fact that at any time we could’ve lost my child,” Cook told WHDH.
21 month old Lucas has been in the ICU at Children’s Hospital for over a week. His mom tells WBZ he’s one of the two kids in Boston diagnosed with meningococcal @wbz #WBZ pic.twitter.com/LWIHFMCpgR
— Mike Moses (@MikeMosesWriter) October 24, 2019
The disease is fairly uncommon; Massachusetts sees roughly 10 to 15 cases per year, according to the city’s health commission. Officials said the disease comes in varying forms, “including infection of the blood and infection of the brain and spinal cord, known as meningitis.”
“Early detection and initiation of antibiotics for suspected meningococcal disease is critically important,” the statement says.
A spokesperson for Horizons for Homeless Children told WHDH the Public Health Commission informed the organization about the two diagnoses, which were at separate locations.
One was at a Dorchester facility, the other in Jamaica Plain, according to the news station.
“We do not know if these cases are related, but we are working closely with BPHC and have taken all recommended precautions to protect our students and staff at these locations,” the spokesperson said. “At this point, we would defer inquiries to BPHC.”
The commission said there are vaccines available to prevent common forms of meningococcal disease and urged residents to talk about options with their health professionals.
“Any resident with questions about meningococcal disease should call BPHC at 617 534-5611,” the commission said.
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