Health officials confirmed Tuesday (June 19) that a 4-H camper has been diagnosed with spinal meningitis.

The 14-year-old camper in residence at Jacksons Mill State 4-H Camp reported the symptoms to the camp nurse on Tuesday morning. The camper was taken to Stonewall Jackson Hospital in Weston and was diagnosed with the condition in the afternoon.

There are two types of meningitis: bacterial and viral. Health officials are still testing the patient to determine which type of meningitis the young person has. Initial tests of the patient indicate that this is the viral, or less severe, form.

Health care professionals at the camp are carefully monitoring campers and staff for any sign of illness. WVU Extension Service, which runs the 4-H camps, has been in close contact with county health department officials and with an infectious disease specialist from the WVU School of Medicine to monitor progress.

The camper was also in residence at Greenbrier County 4-H camp from June 1115. That camp was held at Greenbrier County Youth Camp at Anthony, W.Va.

We are notifying parents of campers from both camps who may have come in close contact with this young person,said Ann Bailey Berry, associate director for WVU Extension Service.We want individuals to be alert to any signs or symptoms of meningitis and then seek appropriate treatment.

Symptoms of meningitis include a combination of stiff neck, severe headache, high fever, nausea and sore throat. Anyone exhibiting these symptoms should seek medical attention immediately.

Meningitis is an infection that causes inflammation of the three thin layers of tissue that cover the brain and spinal cord.

This is the first reported case of meningitis at a WVU Extension 4-H camp in the more than 80 years of camping across the state, Berry said.

For more information, contact your county health department or your family physician.

Additional information about meningitis can be found at:http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/meningococcal_g.htm