A sixth grade student at Gettys Middle School in Pickens County died recently after being hospitalized with bacterial meningitis, and Spartanburg School District 2 recently announced that a student was diagnosed with viral meningitis.

Biology teacher Alex Smith explains that both of these diseases, in which there is inflammation of the tissues that cover the brain and spinal cord, are serious.

“There’s bacterial and viral meningitis,” he said. “Bacterial is way more serious than viral. Viral is spread through direct contact and bacterial is spread airborne such as coughing and sneezing. It starts as a common virus or chickenpox and spreads to the brain.”

With this recent outbreak, it’s best to know if Chapman is prepared for this kind of disease.

“I don’t think any one is ever prepared for meningitis,” Assistant Principal Andrew McMillan said. “We have had our custodians spray down everything considering the flu has spread here.”

McMillan said he doesn’t believe there has ever been an outbreak of meningitis in the district.

Common hygiene practices such as hand washing and disinfecting surfaces can help prevent viral meningitis; vaccinations and practicing traditional habits of good health can help prevent bacterial meningitis.