This communication is for those who have been contacted by the Marin County Public Health Department by phone the week of August 19, 2019
For contacts of Bacterial Meningitis case:
The purpose of this letter is to inform you that you may have had contact with a person who had meningococcal meningitis. For that reason, we encourage you to contact your health care provider or go to Urgent Care to discuss possible preventive treatment with antibiotics (post-exposure prophylaxis).
Close contact includes:
- household members
- persons who frequently eat or sleep in the same house
- persons who spent 4-6 hours per day together
- persons who have come in close contact with the saliva or respiratory secretions of an infected person.
Preventive antibiotic treatment is recommended for individuals who are close contacts of someone who had meningococcal disease. Ciprofloxacin 500mg one tablet effectively prevents disease.
Symptoms of meningococcal disease include, but are not limited to:
- Fever
- Headache
- Stiff neck
- Confusion
- Rash
If you experience any of these signs or symptoms, contact your health care provider immediately for evaluation. If you or your provider have additional questions or concerns, please call Marin County Communicable Disease and Prevention Control (CDPC) at 415 473 4163 and ask to speak to a Public Health Nurse. Additional information about meningococcal disease can be found at https://www.cdc.gov/meningococcal/index.html.
