Inmate at George W. Hill Correctional Facility hospitalized with bacterial meningitis

From Delco to Chesco and Montco to Bucks, what about life in Philly’s suburbs do you want WHYY News to cover? Let us know!

An incarcerated individual at George W. Hill Correctional Facility in Thornton, Pennsylvania, tested positive Sunday for bacterial meningitis, Delaware County officials announced Tuesday.

The Delaware County Health Department is working with prison management to identify people who might have had “close” contact with the individual from Sept. 2 through Sept. 12.

Contacts that are considered higher-risk include direct exposure to oral secretions through frequently eating or sleeping in the same dwelling as an infected individual, the county said in a statement.

County officials are supplying preventive antibiotics to anyone who had direct exposure. Approximately 970 people are currently incarcerated at George W. Hill Correctional Facility.

Meningitis is the swelling of the protective membrane that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. Public health experts consider bacterial meningitis to be a serious and potentially fatal infection.

Symptoms include fever, headache, nausea and a stiff neck. Anyone who suspects they might have meningitis should seek immediate medical attention. Health care providers diagnose meningitis using blood or cerebrospinal fluid samples. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, treatment depends on the cause.