Health Officials Warn of Potentially Deadly Bacterial Meningitis at Gym

Rochester, MI — The Oakland County Health Division said Wednesday that more than 200 children who attended a recent Life Time Fitness day camp in Rochester Hills may have been exposed to bacterial meningitis, a serious and potentially deadly disease, public health officials said late Wednesday

Health officials said in a statement that it was notified Wednesday that a Macomb County resident who is an employee of Life Time Fitness has the infection and has been hospitalized.

The Health Division is in the process of notifying employees and parents of campers who attended day camp between July 1-11 may have been exposed, though the risk of infection is low.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that though most people with meningitis recover, permanent disabilities, such as brain damage, hearing loss and learning disabilities, can result from the infection.

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“Bacterial meningitis is very serious and can be deadly,” the CDC said on its website. “Death can occur in as little as a few hours.”

Kathy Forzley, manager and health officer for the Oakland County Health Division, emphasized that the disease is not spread through casual contact or by simply being in the same room as an infected person.

“A person must have direct contact with an infected person’s saliva or nasal secretions,” Forzley said. “If exposed, the incubation period is one to ten days.”

The Health Division is also in the process of identifying and contacting people who may have had close contact with the case, including staff and day camp attendees between July 1-11.

Although the risk is low, people who may have been exposed could begin to develop symptoms of meningococcal disease at any time up until July 21. Symptoms include, but are not limited to a sudden onset of fever, headache, stiff neck, confusion, and sometimes a rash.

If any of these signs or symptoms should develop, the individual should be taken immediately to a physician or emergency room to be evaluated for possible meningococcal disease.

“Bacterial meningitis is a serious illness that can develop quickly but can also be prevented through antibiotics after exposure,” Dr. Pamela Hackert, chief of medical services for the Health Division, said in the statement. “People who have been contacted by Life Time Fitness and told that they have potentially been a contact to this case should receive antibiotics immediately.”

To reduce the spread and risk of any communicable disease, it is recommended that campers and staff not share items that come in contact with another person’s saliva such as foods, drinks, lipstick or balm, or cigarettes.

There are several types of bacteria that can cause meningitis, according to the CDC. Some of the leading causes of bacterial meningitis in the United States include Streptococcus pneumoniae, group B Streptococcus, Neisseria meningitidis, Haemophilus influenzae, and Listeria monocytogenes.

Parents or staff members who have any questions may contact Oakland County’s Nurse on Call from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. at (800) 848-5533 or noc@oakgov.com. For more information about bacterial meningitis, go to www.oakgov.com/health.

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