A Cumberland child who attends the Mabel I. Wilson School, meant for students in kindergarten through 3rd grade, has been hospitalized with viral meningitis. It is the second time in a week in York County that a student has been diagnosed with meningitis.

Viral meningitis is said to be less aggressive and more common than bacterial meningitis. Experts have shared that people who contract viral meningitis often get well without taking treatment and this process can take between a week and 10 days.

It shall however, be noted that viral meningitis is problematic for infants and people having weakened immune system caused by diseases, medications or recent transplants. In past few weeks, a rise has been witnessed in the number of viral meningitis cases and especially things have been quite tough in York County.

Viral meningitis symptoms include fever, headaches, stiff neck, poor appetite and nauseam sleepiness or trouble walking, lethargy and vomiting. As such there is no specific treatment for viral meningitis. If a person suffers from it then antibiotics also do not prove beneficial. On the other hand, medicines are used to treat viral meningitis.

In order to avoid contracting it, school officials have requested students to wash their hands often, avoid close contact and touching one's face with unwashed hands, cover coughs and sneezes, stay home if feeling sick and clean those surfaces that are frequently touched.