Tragic death of Denver elementary school student due to bacterial meningitis

DENVER (KDVR) An elementary student in Denver died of a bacterial meningitis infection last month according to Denver Public Schools and the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment.

The student was attending Lincoln Elementary School and has not been identified. The school district asked for privacy for the family.

The district also said that it, alongside DDPHE, does not believe there is an ongoing risk of exposure to students or staff.

“In regard to this case, there is not an ongoing risk of exposure in the community or the need for preventative treatments for people who might have been exposed,” DDPHE told FOX31. “It’s important to know that there are several strains of bacterial meningitis. Some require intensive public health measures (including prevention treatment) because they have an increased risk of spreading to others. Other strains have a lower risk of secondary infection (illness spreading to others in a school or household setting, for example) and, therefore, do not require public health interventions.”

The Denver school district said it would notify families immediately if any illness cases suspected to be meningitis are reported.

The district recommends that families take standard steps to prevent the spread of germs, including keeping children home if they are sick, and following the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s guidance on staying home for 24 hours while fever-free without fever-reducers before returning to school.

The district also recommended that guardians report their students’ symptoms when calling in absences, talk to their doctors, stay up to date on vaccinations, cover coughs and sneezes, wash hands frequently and increase cleaning and disinfecting.