The McGraw Hill employee passed away Friday morning. About 590 employees at the Route 571 facility received a precautionary oral antibiotic.
By: Michael Arges
EAST WINDSOR Around 590 employees at McGraw Hill received an oral antibiotic against meningitis Friday after a McGraw Hill employee died Friday morning, apparently of meningitis.
The unidentified McGraw Hill employee, a resident of East Windsor, passed away at about 9 a.m. Friday, according to East Windsor Health Officer Jeff Plunkett.
"He was taken into Princeton Medical Center by the EMT unit and he expired at the medical center," Mr. Plunkett said.
He was picked up at his East Windsor home and taken to the medical center by an EMT unit from East Windsor.
After conferring with state health officials, Mr. Plunkett ordered the administering of the antibiotics, which was done in about two hours by East Windsor public health nurses.
Officials are almost completely sure that meningitis was the cause of the employee’s death, though confirmation of the diagnosis will take about 48 hours, Mr. Plunkett said.
"The emergency room at Princeton Medical Center and their infection control supervisor are 95 percent sure that it was
meningitis symptoms and signs," Mr. Plunkett said.
The East Windsor Health Department at first offered the antibiotic to the 50-75 employees in the general working group of the deceased, and McGraw Hill offered to underwrite that precaution for anyone at the facility who wanted it, according to Mr. Plunkett.
"It’s certainly well under control. McGraw Hill was extremely cooperative," Mr. Plunkett said. "We handled it from our end, and I think it’s been addressed very, very well."
The McGraw Hill facility is located on Route 571, the Princeton-Hightstown Road, in East Windsor.
"Meningitis is an infection cause by bacteria," Mr. Plunkett said. He described the risk to others as "very, very remote, very, very small."
Although it is contagious, he noted that transmission of the disease requires prolonged exposure or close personal contact such as kissing, coughing or sneezing on someone, or sharing of utensils or drinking containers.
Mr. Plunkett noted that the first symptoms of meningitis are nausea, fever, cold-type symptoms and a body rash. The rash could appear anywhere. Anyone experiencing these symptoms should contact their primary care physician, Mr. Plunkett said.
"Early treatment is very important."