Claremore Daily Progress

Mobile

Related Photos

  • Andrew Gregory Thomas PHOTO PROVIDED

    AndrewGregThomas-mugWEB.jpg
March 12, 2010

Two Oologah students die from meningitis

Krystal J. Carman Staff Writer

CLAREMORE — Two Oologah-Talala students have died after contracting meningitis.

Early Thursday, seven-year-old Andrew Gregory Thomas died from the disease and school officials announced late Thursday afternoon another child also passed. As of presstime, the child’s name had not been released.

Four other students at Oologah-Talala School have also contracted the disease and have been hospitalized.

A team from the Rogers County Health Department and the Oklahoma State Health Department, consisting of two doctors and at least nine nurses, brought antibiotics to the gymnasium Thursday to treat all elementary students and faculty.

Two students were transported to Owasso hospitals late Thursday afternoon after having an adverse reaction to the antibiotic, according to officials.

Classes have been cancelled at Oologah-Talala Schools for Friday.

According to Rogers County Health Department Director Mary Beth Murray, a 6-year-old remains in critical condition as of Friday morning. In addition, Andrew Thomas was not the first child to be admitted to the hospital on Wednesday night.

“This is very, very unusual,” Murray said of the outbreak. “The state health department had not seen anything like this happen before. Especially the rapid onset and the subsequent hospitalizations and death.”

Oologah-Talala Superintendent Rick Thomas said he was made aware at 9 a.m. Thursday morning that some of his students had contracted meningitis and one had died from the disease via a telephone call from the health department.

“Yesterday, the students sent home had signs of fever and flu-like symptoms,” Supt. Thomas said at a press conference on Thursday. “Their parents picked them up yesterday. We have no knowledge that any other kids are sick.

“I have never seen it, in my time here or in any school district,” Supt. Thomas said.

Inside the school’s gymnasium Thursday the doctors including, Dr. Sam Stauffer who is the only physician in Oologah for the past 29 years, are giving the antibiotic rocephin. Rocephin is an injectable antibiotic and is being given to “at risk” students and faculty at the Oologah-Talala Lower Elementary. The lower elementary serves students in grades pre-kindergarten to second grade.

“Even if a child doesn’t have the symptoms, they are being given the antibiotic as a preventive measure,” Stauffer said.

Oologah Dolton Funeral Home is handling arrangements for the Andrew Gregory Thomas family.

Local clinics and physicians have been overrun with parents worried that their children may have the disease. Thomas said most of those children have been sent back to the gymnasium to be assessed and treated.

In addition to treating the students and anyone affected or involved with the lower elementary, the health department is giving parents information sheets concerning meningitis, its symptoms and other pertinent information.

Meningitis is a potentially severe or fatal disease caused by bacteria, virus or fungi which inflames the tissues that cover the brain and spinal cord.

Symptoms of meningitis include fever, rash, headache, stiff neck, nausea, vomiting and fatigue. Symptoms in infants may include irritability, lethargy, extreme fussiness or refusal to eat.

If these symptoms are present, the health department advises contacting your primary care physician immediately to determine the cause of the disease in order to administer the correct treatment.

According to the state health department, viral meningitis is the most common form of the disease and it is spread from person-to-person through direct or indirect contact with fecal material. This comes via unclean hands or contaminated environmental items. There is no specific treatment for viral meningitis and most patients recover on their own with bed rest and plenty of fluids. A physician may, however, recommend medicine to relive symptoms such as fever and headache.

Bacterial meningitis can be caused by bacteria such as Streptococcus or Niesseria meningitis. This type of the disease is spread by direct contact with saliva or respiratory fluids from the nose and throat of an infected person. This is a more severe type of the disease and requires prompt treatment with antibiotics.

Meningococcal meningitis is a serious form of bacterial meningitis which also causes blood infections called meningococcal disease. Household members and other persons directly exposed to the respiratory fluids of a person with meningococcal meningitis are recommended to receive preventive antibiotics.

To prevent the spread of meningitis, hand washing is the most important action. The state health department advises washing soiled hands with soap and water after using the toilet, changing diapers, sneezing or coughing into your hands and before preparing and eating food. Also, use alcohol based hand gels when hands are not visibly soiled.

Facts concerning meningitis were provided by the Oklahoma State Department of Health

Text Only
Mobile
  • Dario Franchitti wins third Indy 500

    Dario Franchitti stamped his name in the record books, the latest three-time winner of the Indianapolis 500.
    But this was not about Franchitti: It was all for Dan Wheldon.
    Franchitti won a wheel-to-wheel, last-lap battle Sunday with Takuma Sato, their tires briefly touching to send Sato spinning hard into the wall. Franchitti sailed away to the checkered flag, with Chip Ganassi Racing teammate Scott Dixon crossing the finish line right behind the Scotsman.

    May 27, 2012

  • BARGASweb.jpg NAIA WORLD SERIES: RSU upsets No. 1 LSU-Shreveport

    The ninth-seeded Rogers State baseball team choreographed its second straight come-from-behind victory at the Avista-NAIA World Series with a 2-1 upset over top ranked and top seeded LSU-Shreveport on Saturday evening at Harris Field on the campus of Lewis-Clark State.
    The Diamond Cats snapped the Pilots 16-game winning streak and handed them just their fifth loss of the season. It’s the first time in program history the Cats have topped the No.1 team in the country.

    May 27, 2012 1 Photo

  • NAIA WORLD SERIES: Lee (Tenn.) cruises past Point Park (Pa.)

    Corey Davis and Jorge Saez recorded multi-hit performances, including a pair of doubles by Saez, and Lee (Tenn.) took advantage of two Point Park (Pa.) errors to claim a 9-3 win at the 2012 Avista-NAIA World Series at Harris Field on Saturday.

    With the win, Lee (55-9-1) advances to play No. 3 Oklahoma City at 8:30 p.m. on Monday. The Flames are now 4-3 in opening games at the World Series. Point Park, who defeated No. 10 College of Idaho (7-3) on Friday, falls into the elimination bracket to face No. 6 Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) at 12 p.m. on Monday.

    May 27, 2012

  • FISHING-TWOweb.jpg May 24 CLAREMORE LAKE JACKPOT: Hougkind, Ross claim top honors

    Claremore anglers Jason Hougkind and Scott Ross brought home top honors on May 24 in the weekly Claremore Lake Jackpot.

    Hougkind and Ross placed first with two largemouth bass that weighed 5.31 pounds. The two bass helped Hougkind and Ross collect $175 in prize money.

     

     

    May 27, 2012 1 Photo

  • FISHING-ONEweb.jpg Guinn, Brown win Claremore Lake Jackpot on May 10

    Claremore anglers Heath Guinn and Paul Brown reeled in top honors in the weekly Claremore Lake Jackpot held May 10.

    Guinn and Brown caught two largemouth bass that weighed 6.85 pounds to take home first place honors. The two bass guaranteed the anglers $219 in prize money.

    May 27, 2012 1 Photo

  • WILL ROGERS STAMPEDE: Youthful Howell proving to be quite the veteran

    Tie-down roper Will Howell is young, but he’s got the confidence of a crafty veteran.

    That was quite an advantage Saturday night during the second performance of the Will Rogers Stampede PRCA Rodeo, where Howell posted an 8.6-second run to move in to second place in the four-day rodeo. He’s the closest cowboy to leader Hunter Herrin, a five-time Wrangler National Finals Rodeo qualifier who posted a 7.7 on Thursday night to kick start the competition.

    May 27, 2012

  • ORU hosts NCAA Baseball Selection Show party on Monday

    Having won the 2012 Summit League Tournament title, the Oral Roberts baseball team knows it will be in the field of 64, but will find out its destination on Monday with a selection show on ESPNU at 11 a.m.
     
    The Golden Eagles will meet at the Buffalo Wild Wings at Tulsa Hills to watch the show, and ORU fans are invited to join the team at the restaurant to find out where the team will play the first round, as well as the other three teams in the region.

    May 27, 2012

  • Northeast Oklahoma Fishing Report

    Summertime temperatures are heating up and the bass are biting in area lakes throughout Northeast Oklahoma.

    Below is the area fishing report to help those fishing enthusiasts plan their next trip.

     

    May 27, 2012

  • Ex-Hillcat Samples progressing for South Bend Silver Hawks

    Former Rogers State University pitcher Matt Samples is steadily improving with each outing on the mound for the Class A South Bend (Ind.) Silver Hawks.

    In his second year of minor league baseball, Samples has a 2-1 record with a 2.18 earned run average this summer.

    May 27, 2012

  • Dylan Bundy shines in High-A pitching debut

    In front of an over-capacity crowd of 9,833 fans at Harry Grove Stadium, the Keys won 5-3 over the Salem Red Sox in Dylan Bundy's highly anticipated debut with the Frederick Keys.
    Dylan Bundy earned the win after going five innings and allowing two runs on six hits and also collecting six strikeouts and no walks.

    May 27, 2012