C. Ind. school warns parents about meningitis case

COLUMBUS, Ind. — A central Indiana school has warned parents about the dangers of bacterial meningitis after a second grader came down with the illness.

Officials say the girl from Clifty Creek Elementary School in Columbus is suffering from the Bartholomew County’s first case of the disease since 2004.

School district student assistance coordinator Larry Perkinson tells The Republic that the girl has been improving while being treated at Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis.

The school sent letters to families alerting them to the case of meningitis and its symptoms, including fever, headache, stiff neck, confusion and rash.

Meningitis is an infection of the fluid that surrounds the spinal cord and brain. It can be caused by a virus or bacteria, and bacterial meningitis is more dangerous.