One of five teenagers hospitalized in New Hampshire with symptoms of bacterial meningitis has died from the disease, and another was in critical condition Sunday.
State officials planned to alert emergency room personnel Monday about the cases and urge them to watch for signs of additional infections.
Meningitis, which causes the brain to swell, is spread by fairly intimate contact, such as kissing or sharing utensils or water bottles.
GREEN CARD ENTRIES DOWN: There have been less than half the usual number of entries for the green card lottery this year, and immigrants’ advocates blame a new rule requiring hopefuls to apply by computer.
As the Dec. 30 deadline nears, the government has received 5 million applications, compared with as many as 13 million in previous years, The New York Times reported Saturday.
Officials say the new computer-only policy prevents fraud and duplicate applications. Advocates say potential applicants do not have access to computers.
JONBENET CASE: A sample of male DNA found on JonBenet Ramsey’s underwear has been submitted to FBI investigators seven years after the 6-year-old was slain in her parents’, Boulder, Colo., home, the family attorney said Friday.
Earlier DNA tests on the two drops of blood indicated it was from a male who was not a member of the Ramsey family. At the time, the DNA sample wasn’t good enough to compare against a national databank, the attorney said. A high-quality sample has since been taken.
ROAD KILL MYSTERY: More than a dozen dead deer have been left to decay at a makeshift dump along Indiana 37 near Bloomington within sight of drivers along the highway. After receiving several complaints, state conservation Officer Jeremy Coomes went to the site and counted 20 to 22 dead deer.
“They’re all road kill, you can tell that.”
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Compiled from RedEye news services and edited by Lara Weber (lweber@tribune.com) and Drew Sottardi (dsottardi@tribune.com)
