Bacterial Meningitis

Anne Arundel County health officials said yesterday that they were trying to reach the families of five preschool children who may have been exposed to bacterial meningitis through contact with a boy who came down with the disease last weekend and is now hospitalized. Working throughout Easter, county Health Department nurses contacted 85 of 90 families whose children attend the Edgewater preschool with the sick boy or who went to a birthday party March 24 with him. The families were told to contact a doctor to get a prescription for antibiotics.

THE DEATH of 8-year-old Steven Chilton is sad enough for his classmates at Worthington Elementary School in Ellicott City. The boy died Sunday after initially being treated for a high fever. Parents, teachers and school counselors have the difficult task of helping pupils deal with the trauma that accompanies the loss of young life.But the sadness was mixed with concern this time because of fear -- still unconfirmed -- that young Steven died of bacterial meningitis, a highly contagious and deadly disease.

Travis Blake, a senior at Chesapeake High School, was in critical condition last night at North Arundel Hospital in Glen Burnie with bacterial meningitis, hospital officials said. His illness comes two weeks after an Annapolis High School junior died of the disease, but county health department officials say that there is no connection between the two cases. "We're dealing with a different strain of the organism," said Frances Phillips, the county's chief health officer. "It is not related whatsoever to the other case in Annapolis."

A third-year medical student at University of Maryland, Baltimore remained in critical condition last night with bacterial meningitis as a trickle of students worried about possible exposure to the disease visited the university's health clinic. Christopher Taylor, 27, of Towson was transported by ambulance late Thursday to Maryland General Hospital after complaining of symptoms associated with the potentially deadly disease. He was transferred to University of Maryland Medical Center Saturday night after his condition worsened.

Doctors at Union Memorial Hospital confirmed yesterday that a Johns Hopkins graduate student has contracted bacterial meningitis, the contagious form of that potentially fatal infection of the brain lining and spinal cord. Marcus Dale Weicker, 25, of Oregon remained in critical condition in Union Memorial's intensive care unit. Hopkins spokesman Dennis O'Shea said the school's health services clinic at the Homewood campus is treating students who had direct contact with Weicker. The city health commissioner, Dr. Peter L. Beilenson, said 23 Hopkins students and 13 members of the Union Memorial staff have been given prophylactic antibiotics.

The Community Sports Hall of Fame, sponsored by the Howard County Department of Recreation and Parks, honors those who have gained prominence and/or have made a substantial contribution to recreational sports programs in Howard County. This year's inductees are the late Gary Arthur, Bob Falk, Paul Goldenberg, Jean Hodges and Louise Waxler. Their stories are being told over a two-week period. This is the first installment. The induction ceremony will be held at the ninth annual Celebration of Sports, Oct. 18 at the Turf Valley Resort, in Ellicott City.

A prayer went out over the public address system at Archbishop Curley High School in Baltimore yesterday for a senior who has contracted bacterial meningitis. Officials also sent letters home, alerting parents of the student's illness.Students and members of the staff and faculty at Western Maryland College in Westminster were also notified because the student, Michael Petr, stayed there overnight April 9 after touring the college with plans of possibly enrolling in the fall. More than 80 people at the college have visited the campus health center over the past three days to receive antibiotics.

Issues of privacy and public health came into play last week in a case of life-threatening illness when an Annapolis High School student was hospitalized in critical condition with bacterial meningitis.Parents of other students were notified of the illness -- which is mostly spread through direct contact -- in a letter that did not identify the victim.Bacterial meningitis is an infection of the membranes that cover the brain. Symptoms include severe headache, stiff neck, high fever and rash.