Miami Daycare Closed After 2 Children Die Of Suspected Meningitis

A Miami day care was shut down following reports that two toddlers possibly died from meningitis within a week of each other.

One of the victims — a 22-month-old boy who attended the YWCA Carol Glassman Donaldson Center Day Care in Miami, Florida — died Dec.3 from an illness that was initially thought to be pneumonia. A week later, another child, a 2-year-old boy, also died after being first diagnosed with pneumonia. A local doctor then diagnosed the first child’s death as a suspected case of meningitis and it was thought that the second child’s death maybe related, CBS affiliate WFOR-TV reported.

Lab tests by the State Health department were ordered into both the cases to ascertain whether either child had the infection and Florida health officials confirmed Wednesday that one of the children tested positive for pneumococcal meningitis, the Miami Herald reported.

A spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Health, Mara Gambineri, said state officials were unable to confirm with laboratory testing whether the second child also had meningitis as the boy died outside of the country.

The disease is infectious in nature and is caused by bacteria that spread through close, direct physical contact including coughing or sneezing and through saliva of infected persons.

"The day care center has voluntarily closed its doors. Unfortunately, two children have passed away," said county official Jose Galan. "We have been working with the State Department of Health, children and families and with the day care," he added.

According to the Miami Herald, state inspectors found the daycare had no place to isolate sick children from healthy ones two days before the death of the first child. Following the findings, the childcare was given 30 days to correct the deficiency by the Department of Children & Families, which regulated child daycare centers.

Gambineri said the administrators of the daycare asked the department to provide feedback after inspecting the facility.

“We’re in the midst of that investigation at this point,” said Gambineri.

Four days after the death of the first child, the state authorities sent a letter to the parents of the children who attended the daycare saying he was diagnosed with pneumococcal meningitis. But the letter did not mention the child had died.

Dr. Reynald Jean, the head of epidemiology for the state health department’s office in Miami-Dade, was quoted saying that the state medical department staff met with the parents at the center the day the letter was issued. “We told them the child had passed,” Jean said. “But they already knew about it.

Kerry-Ann Royes, director of the daycare, told Miami Herald Wedneday: “We’re just devastated by this. These are our babies.”

The Department of Children and Families also issued a statement which said: “We are devastated by the death of two small children who attended this child care facility and we continue to grieve with their families and loved ones.”

The daycare center is expected to remain closed until the state cleared it for reopening after an investigation.