Nassau County Health officials confirmed that a 58-year-old Levittown man died from meningococcal meningitis on Saturday, March 15. After several days of feeling ill, the individual left work early Friday to rest and was found unconscious at home and transported by ambulance to Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow where he died Saturday.

The individual, who was not identified by health officials due to privacy laws, was a machine mechanic at Kozy Shack Foods in Hicksville. Corporate executives of Kozy Shack have notified and interviewed their employees and no one required preventative treatment.

"Kozy Shack Enterprises is deeply saddened by the death of a valued employee," said Bob Striano, chief executive officer and president of Kozy Shack Enterprises, Inc. "As a member of the Kozy Shack family he will be missed. We have been in close communication with the Nassau County Department of Health and immediately took action to notify employees. The Department of Health assures the company and the community that Meningococcal Meningitis is not food borne and is not spread by casual contact such as simply being in the same workplace."

According to Cynthia Brown, a Nassau County Department of Health spokesperson, all members of the individuals' family have been notified.

"Those are the people who would potentially have been at risk and they have received prophylactics or are in the process of getting the preventive treatment," she added.

Only individuals who shared food, drink, eating utensils, a beverage container or exchanged oral secretions or who had any similar exposure with the individual between March 5 and March 15 should contact their health care provider immediately to receive the preventative treatment. Meningitis can't be spread by food or casual contact such as being in the same office or similar setting.

Nassau County health officials report that meningococcal disease is a bacterial infection of the bloodstream or meningies (a thin lining covering the brain and spinal cord) caused by the meningococcus germ. The disease is spread by direct, close contact with nose or throat discharges of an infected person. Symptoms can include high fever, headache, vomiting, stiff neck and rash and appear most often within five days of exposure, but can appear anytime within two and 10 days. Individuals who think they have symptoms should contact their health provider immediately. If untreated, the disease can cause serious neurological damage or even death.

This is the fourth case of a meningococcal disease reported in a Nassau County resident since January.

Additional information on meningococcal disease can be found on the New York State Department of Health website at www.health.state.ny.us/diseases/.