Montclair Area Child Passes Away From Bacterial Meningitis: Report

MONTCLAIR, NJ — A Montclair child care provider has sent notice to parents that a toddler at the center recently died of bacterial meningitis, a report says.

A New Jersey Department of Health (DOH) spokeswoman confirmed to NJ.com that the child passed away on Sept. 24 of pneumococcal meningitis, also known as Streptococcus pneumoniae. Parents at MMO of Montclair were informed of the death in a letter Monday, the report stated.

Children who may have had contact with the child do not need any medication to protect against the disease, and do not need to seek medical care unless they feel ill, a DOH spokesperson told NJ.com.

The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that Streptococcus pneumoniae can cause several types of illnesses, including: pneumonia (infection of the lungs), ear infections, sinus infections, meningitis (infection of the covering around the brain and spinal cord), and bacteremia (blood stream infection).

“Pneumococcus bacteria are spread through coughing, sneezing, and close contact with an infected person,” the CDC states.

According to the CDC, symptoms of pneumococcal disease depend on the part of the body that is infected. They can include fever, cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, stiff neck, confusion and disorientation, sensitivity to light, joint pain, chills, ear pain, sleeplessness, and irritability.

In severe cases, pneumococcal disease can cause hearing loss, brain damage, and death, the CDC states.

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