ATLANTA — A Carroll County third grader has died after contracting a form of bacterial meningitis.
Scarlett Marie Tanner, 8, died around 7:30 p.m. Friday at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston.
Early Friday, Channel 2 Action News learned that Tanner had been placed on life support.
Her illness was diagnosed as strep pneumonia meningitis. Public health officials say it is not contagious or a threat to other students or school staff at Providence Elementary School in Temple, where Tanner attended classes.
“There is no potential risk for when the children go back on Tuesday for them to then be exposed to it,” said Dr. Vaughnette Jones.
Parents say they received a robo-call from the school district informing them of the child’s illness on Thursday. Many parents kept their children out of school Friday, even though health officials assured them their children were safe.
Jones explained symptoms of meningitis as stiff neck, high fever, headaches and not being coherent.
"When the strep pneumonia gets around the brain stem into the brain, that’s when you have the meningitis,” she said.
Jones said the only way for someone to contract the illness would be by “sharing something that was actually in her mouth."
“If that didn’t happen, you’re not at risk for catching what she has,” she said.
WSBTV
