AP Features, July 24th, 2007
AirTran Airways officials have contacted passengers from two flights after a teenager, who traveled from Orlando, Fla., to Wichita, was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis, an official for the airline said.
The girl, whose identity wasn't released, traveled Saturday from Orlando to Atlanta on flight 862 and then to Wichita on flight 687.
The airline notified people in rows in the immediate vicinity of the ill passenger who might have been infected, company spokesman Dave Hirschman said. He said late Monday afternoon that all the passengers sought had been contacted.
Crew members called ahead and had an ambulance meet the plane at the gate after the girl became sick on the plane and then unresponsive.
The illness was identified at Wesley Medical Center, and the airline notified the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta on Sunday. A hospital spokeswoman said the teen was listed in critical condition Monday.
Bacterial meningitis is a contagious disease that affects the fluid surrounding the spinal cord and the brain. It can be contracted by direct close contact with discharges from the nose or throat of an infected person, but not through casual contact or breathing the same air as a person with meningitis.
Symptoms of meningitis include a high fever, a headache or a stiff neck, as well as nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light, confusion and sleepiness.
Meningitis can be treated with a number of antibiotics, but the disease spreads rapidly, so treatment should be started right away.
The planes on which the girl was flying have been thoroughly cleaned and returned to service, Hirschman said.
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Information from: The Wichita Eagle, http://www.kansas.com
