Officials say more than 200 children ages 5-12 who attended a day camp at a suburban Detroit gym may have been exposed to bacterial meningitis from an infected worker.
George Miller, director of Oakland County Department of Health and Human Services, held a news conference Wednesday evening to discuss the response. He says officials are notifying parents of the children who attended the day camp between July 1 and 11.
He says they're urging that the children be assessed by a doctor. Lifetime Fitness in Rochester Hills sent out an email notifying its members.
Miller says the employee, an adult who lives in Macomb County, is hospitalized.
Meningitis is an infection of the fluid that surrounds a person's spinal cord and the brain. Bacterial meningitis isn't spread through casual contact, but is a serious and potentially life-threatening disease.
Death can occur in as little as a few hours, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
While most recover, the CDC says permanent disabilities such as brain damage, hearing loss, and learning disabilities can result from the infection.
