East Lyme Elementary Student Diagnosed With Viral Meningitis

The school superintendent in East Lyme is alerting parents after an elementary school student was diagnosed with viral meningitis.

Superintendent Dr. Jim Lombardo said the student went home sick from Niantic Center School last week and that the student's parents informed him of the diagnosis Tuesday night.

Lombardo notified Niantic Center School parents and sent them information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Although the CDC says most cases of viral meningitis are caused by enteroviruses, Lombardo said the illness is typical among children and that it's "very treatable."

"The East Lyme Public Schools' medical advisor, Dr. Vijay Sikand, has informed us that these types of viruses are not uncommon, and that the school does not need to take any additional steps beyond our normal protocols of contacting parents if and when a child becomes ill at school," Lombardo wrote in the letter to parents Wednesday.

The child is out of school and receiving treatment.

Lombardo said he wants to keep parents informed but emphasized that there is no cause for alarm.

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