Teen With Meningitis Could Have Infected Fellow Plane Passengers

A teenager, who was traveling on an AirTran Airways flight was found to have bacterial meningitis. The girl traveled from Orlando, Florida to Atlanta, Georgia and then to Wichita, Kansas and became very ill and unresponsive on the second flight. Crew members called for an ambulance to meet her upon arrival and the airline notified the CDC on Sunday.

Now AirTran is trying to contact passengers who sat near the teenager on either flight. Meningitis, which is a serious infection of the fluid in the spinal cord and the fluid that surrounds the brain, can be spread by direct close contact with the discharges from the nose or throat of an infected person but not through breathing the same air. The infection kills about 10% of those infected and can lead to brain damage, coma, and death. Symptoms of the bacterial meningitis include high fever, headache, and stiff neck.

The teenage girl was transported to Wesley Medical Center, and it is reported that she is in critical condition. The planes the girl traveled in have been thoroughly cleaned and are now back in use. AirTran is notifying 20 people that sat near her on the plane.