Boy Who Died At PA Camp Had Meningitis, Report Says

Daniel Beer, the 11-year-old county boy who died Monday after getting sick at a Pennsylvania sleep-away camp, had Neisseria meningitis, according to a report by NorthJersey.com.

Beer on Monday complained of stomach pains Sunday night and was treated for "gastrointestinal symptoms" at camp Nah-Jee-Wah's infirmary. He was taken to a hospital Monday morning when the symptoms got worse and died that day.

Reports by The Morning Call and others said that three other boys in Beer's cabin at the camp were also hospitalized with stomach illnesses, but were later released.

A source with children who attend the camp said the three others were taken to the hospital to out of an abundance of caution. An infection specialist came to the camp and recommended that the three campers be taken to the emergency room and tested for infections. They were cleared and sent home, the source told Patch.

A funeral service for Beer was held Wednesday.

Doctors treat meningococcal disease with antibiotics, but quick medical attention is extremely important, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Keeping up to date with recommended vaccines is the best defense against the disease.

According to his obituary, Beer is survived by his parents Jill and Sam; brother and best friend Ethan; grandfather Sherwin Baumgarten; grandmother Laura Beer; uncles and aunts Keith and Rina Baumgarten, Evan and Lisa Baumgarten, Amy Beth, Jonathan and Rebecca Baumgarten and Gloria Beer and their children.

Photo: Daniel Beer/Courtesy of Hellman Memorial Chapels/Background image via Shutterstock

With reporting by Dan Hubbard