Two Reported Deaths from Bacterial Meningitis in Eastern Virginia Outbreak

Hampton, Virginia United States of America
Bacterial meningitis can lead to meningitis which is inflammation of tissues surrounding the brain and spinal cord. It is caused by bacteria that spread through close contact like kissing or sharing drinks or eating utensils, but not through casual contact or breathing air where an infected person has been.
There has been a recent outbreak of bacterial meningitis in the eastern region of Virginia, with two reported deaths so far. Darryl Arnold, an inmate at Norfolk City Jail, died from the disease on March 8th while in custody. Another individual, a student at Francis Asbury Elementary School in Hampton also passed away due to group A strep meningitis.
Vaccines are available to protect against certain strains of meningitis.
Two Reported Deaths from Bacterial Meningitis in Eastern Virginia Outbreak

There has been a recent outbreak of bacterial meningitis in the eastern region of Virginia, with two reported deaths so far. Darryl Arnold, an inmate at Norfolk City Jail, died from the disease on March 8th while in custody. Another individual, a student at Francis Asbury Elementary School in Hampton, also passed away due to group A strep meningitis. The Virginia Department of Health is currently monitoring the situation and has informed relevant medical staff about the outbreak.

Bacterial meningitis can lead to meningitis, which is the inflammation of tissues surrounding the brain and spinal cord. It is caused by a bacteria that can spread through close contact like kissing or sharing drinks or eating utensils, but not through casual contact or breathing the air where an infected person has been. Vaccines are available to protect against certain strains of meningitis.

In Norfolk City Jail, all inmates and staff who may have had contact with Darryl Arnold were given antibiotics as a precautionary measure. The jail also put some inmates in 48-hour quarantines. At Francis Asbury Elementary School, Principal Liz Franks informed families of the student's death on Monday night.

It is important to note that hygiene practices such as hand washing are crucial in preventing the spread of bacteria like those causing meningitis. While there is no vaccine specifically for group A strep meningitis, vaccines are available for other strains of the disease. The Virginia Department of Health recommends getting vaccinated against meningococcal disease.

Symptoms of bacterial meningitis may include sudden high fever, severe headaches, neck stiffness, nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light, and a rash. If you experience any of these symptoms or have come into close contact with someone who has been diagnosed with bacterial meningitis, seek medical attention immediately.


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Confidence

80%

Doubts
  • It is not clear if the outbreak has been contained or if there are any other reported cases.
  • The article does not mention how long ago Darryl Arnold was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis.

Sources

70%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

'I can't bring him back:' Norfolk inmate dies, family shares gravity of loss

WTKR News Jay Greene Saturday, 16 March 2024 03:42
  • Unique Points
    • Norfolk City Jail is monitoring a community outbreak of bacterial meningitis in the eastern region of Virginia.
    • <br>Darryl Arnold, an inmate at Norfolk City Jail died from bacterial meningitis on March 8th while in custody.<br>
    • <br>The risk of transmission of streptococcal group A meningitis within a classroom is considered low.
    • There are several vaccines out there to protect against meningitis including the <strong>meningoccocal vaccine given at age 11</strong> which is required by Virginia schools before 7th grade and another vaccine that protects against a fifth strain aimed towards college aged students.<br>
    • <br><strong>Hygiene is always important particularly as we look at hand washing, because these bacteria can persist for a period of time on hands.</strong>
  • Accuracy
    • Darryl Arnold, an inmate at Norfolk City Jail died from bacterial meningitis on March 8th while in custody.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (85%)
    The article contains several fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by stating that the Norfolk Sheriff's Office blamed bacterial meningitis for Darryl Arnold's death without providing any evidence or citation of their source. Additionally, the author quotes Mary Arnold as saying 'I guess no mother would understand this until they try or have to go through this themselves', which is a form of anecdotal evidence and not reliable. The article also contains inflammatory rhetoric by stating that Darryl's death was
    • The Norfolk Sheriff's Office blamed bacterial meningitis for Darryl Arnold's death without providing any evidence or citation of their source.
    • <p>I guess no mother would understand this until they try or have to go through this themselves</p>
    • <p>Darryl was having chills, and he was vomiting</p>
  • Bias (85%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

71%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Hampton Elementary school student dies from group A strep meningitis

WTKR News Ellen Ice Wednesday, 13 March 2024 12:47
  • Unique Points
    • A Francis Asbury Elementary School student died from meningitis
    • The child had group A strep meningitis
    • Principal Liz Franks informed families of the student's death on Monday night
    • <strong>Important Fact:</strong> The risk of transmission of streptococcal group A meningitis within a classroom is considered low. Casual contact (as in work and school) rarely spreads the bacteria.
    • Symptoms of meningitis may include sudden high fever, severe headaches, neck stiffness, nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light, and a rash
    • <strong>Important Fact:</strong> There is no vaccine for group A strep meningitis
    • Dr. Mitchell said there are several vaccines out there to protect against meningitis including the meningoccocal vaccine given at age 11 which is required by Virginia schools before 7th grade and another vaccine that protects against a fifth strain aimed towards college aged students.
    • <strong>Important Fact:</strong> Hygiene is always important particularly as we look at hand washing, because these bacteria can persist for a period of time on hands.
  • Accuracy
    • The risk of transmission of streptococcal group A meningitis within a classroom is considered low. Casual contact (as in work and school) rarely spreads the bacteria.
    • A Norfolk jail inmate was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis last Friday.
  • Deception (50%)
    The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that the student died from group A strep meningitis when it was not explicitly stated whether or not this was confirmed by a medical professional. Secondly, the principal's statement about casual contact rarely spreading bacteria is misleading as there have been cases of transmission through close contact in schools and other settings. Thirdly, the article implies that all students who had strep throat were at risk for meningitis when it has not been scientifically proven to be a direct cause.
    • The article implies that all students who had strep throat were at risk for meningitis when it has not been scientifically proven to be a direct cause.
    • The principal's statement about casual contact rarely spreading bacteria is misleading as there have been cases of transmission through close contact in schools and other settings.
    • The author claims that the student died from group A strep meningitis without explicitly stating whether or not this was confirmed by a medical professional.
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (80%)
    The article contains a statement from the principal of Francis Asbury Elementary School that one of their students died from group A strep meningitis. The author also quotes Dr. Douglas Mitchell, a pediatrician at CHKD who explains what symptoms to look out for and how it can be spread through close contact like sharing drinks or a straw or kissing.
    • Franks informed Asbury Elementary families of the student's death on Monday night.
    • Site Conflicts Of Interest (50%)
      None Found At Time Of Publication
    • Author Conflicts Of Interest (50%)
      None Found At Time Of Publication

    81%

    The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
    (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

    A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

    Norfolk jail inmate sent to hospital for bacterial meningitis

    Entertainment Variety Tv Site: https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/tv-site/ Cianna Morales, Sunday, 17 March 2024 14:32
    • Unique Points
      • A Norfolk jail inmate was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis last Friday.
      • <br>
      • Darryl Arnold, an inmate at Norfolk City Jail died from bacterial meningitis on March 8th while in custody.
      • There have been 35 confirmed cases and six deaths.
    • Accuracy
      • <br> other inmates were quarantined.
      • <br> All quarantines have been lifted and there were no further confirmed cases of meningitis in the jail.<br>
      • <br> The hospital notified the Virginia Department of Health of the infection and the health department informed jail medical staff on Monday.
      • The state health department has been responding to a statewide meningococcal disease outbreak since September 2022. As of June 2023, there have been 35 confirmed cases and six deaths.
    • Deception (50%)
      The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author states that 'other inmates were quarantined' but does not provide any information on how many other inmates were affected or if they have been released from custody. This statement implies a higher number of cases than what was actually reported and creates fear among readers without providing accurate information. Secondly, the article mentions that vaccines are the best protection against meningococcal disease but does not provide any information on where to get these vaccines or if they are available in Norfolk jail. This statement is misleading as it implies that all inmates have access to these vaccines when there may be limitations based on availability and funding. Lastly, the article mentions a statewide meningococcal disease outbreak but does not provide any information on how many cases or deaths were reported outside of Norfolk jail. This statement creates fear among readers without providing accurate information.
      • The article mentions that vaccines are the best protection against meningococcal disease but does not provide any information on where to get these vaccines or if they are available in Norfolk jail.
      • The author states that 'other inmates were quarantined' but does not provide any information on how many other inmates were affected or if they have been released from custody.
    • Fallacies (100%)
      None Found At Time Of Publication
    • Bias (100%)
      None Found At Time Of Publication
    • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
      None Found At Time Of Publication
    • Author Conflicts Of Interest (50%)
      The author has a conflict of interest on the topic of bacterial meningitis as they are reporting on an outbreak in Norfolk jail. The article mentions that the Virginia Department of Health is investigating the outbreak and local hospitals are treating infected patients. However, there is no disclosure about any financial ties or personal relationships between the author and these entities.
      • The article mentions that 'local hospitals are treating infected patients.'
        • The article states that 'the Virginia Department of Health has launched an investigation into bacterial meningitis cases at Norfolk jail.'