No Link Among Meningitis Cases

LANSING, Mich. (AP) â€” There is no connection between three recent fatal cases of bacterial meningitis in Detroit-area children, health officials have found.

The state Department of Public Health on Tuesday released results of tests by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on samples taken from the three children who have died since Sept. 28.

In addition, the rate of cases this year is similar to that in the past four years, the department said.

``These test results and the DNA fingerprinting conducted at our own laboratories in Lansing confirm the previous field investigation findings that there was no connection between these cases,'' said Dr. David R. Johnson, the state agency's medical chief.

The tests showed each child died from a different strain of the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae, Johnson said.

Bacterial meningitis causes swelling around the brain and spinal cord. It is spread by direct contact with nose and throat secretions. Its flu-like symptoms include high fever, headache, nausea, vomiting and a stiff neck.

A 3-month-old boy remained hospitalized in critical condition with the disease. A 10-year-old girl who was treated for the infection was released Tuesday.

So far this year there have been 145 reported cases of bacterial meningitis statewide, the health department said. That compares to 195 cases in all of 1999.

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On the Net:

CDC: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo