A Biloxi Junior High School student has been diagnosed with viral meningitis, a serious but rarely fatal ailment.

The student was diagnosed Saturday according to the student’s mother, and school officials are notifying parents “before any rumors get started or this incident is blown out of proportion,” said Superintendent Dr. Paul A. Tisdale. The local public health official, Dr. Robert Travnicek, has been notified, and parents of junior high students were being notified this evening.

Viral meningitis is most often spread by shaking hands with an infected person, or touching something they have handled, and then rubbing the nose or mouth.

There is no specific treatment for viral meningitis, and most patients completely recover on their own. Doctors often recommend bed rest, plenty of fluids, and medicine to relieve fever and headache.

Among the measures to prevent the spread of a virus: frequently wash hands; do not share food or utensils; and cover mouth when coughing or sneezing.

All 11 school nurses have been made aware and are monitoring the situation, Tisdale said.

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