LOCAL

Preschool student dies after contracting meningitis

Travis Gibson tgibson@staugustine.com
The Primrose School at St. Johns Forest located just off County Road 210. [TRAVIS GIBSON/THE RECORD]

A young boy who attended preschool in St. Johns County died this week after contracting meningitis, according to a letter sent by the school's management to parents of classmates.

"It is with sadness that I inform you of a Primrose student death last night," reads a letter obtained by The Record that was given to parents Thursday by managers at Primrose School at St. Johns Forest located just off County Road 210.

The boy, who The Record is choosing not to name at this time, was a member of the prekindergarten classroom and was hospitalized for meningitis, the letter states.

There are various forms of meningitis, according to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. Bacterial meningitis is caused by bacteria and can be deadly. Viral meningitis, on the other hand, is the most common type of meningitis and is often less severe, according to the CDC website. It is unclear from the letter which form of the illness the boy contracted.

Bacterial meningitis caused an average of 500 deaths in the United States each year between 2003 and 2007, according to the most recent numbers available from the CDC. Symptoms include sudden onset of fever, headache, and stiff neck as well as other symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, photophobia and an altered mental status.

The owners of the Primrose School at St. Johns Forest were not immediately available for comment Saturday. A call to the St. Johns County Health Department was not immediately returned.

"We ask that you keep [the boy] and his family in your thoughts and prayers," the letter from Primrose School to parents stated.

A memorial for the boy will be held Thursday in Jacksonville, according to an event posted on Facebook.