Bay Haven teacher contracted infectious disease

A teacher at Bay Haven School of Basics Plus contracted what was confirmed to be an infectious pneumococcal disease, Sarasota County Schools said in a release.

The teacher called out sick on April 20, and has since fallen “very ill,” district spokeswoman Tracey Beeker said. The disease can present as an ear or sinus infection, pneumonia or meningitis, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

The district said this is an isolated incident, but out of an abundance of caution the school has gone through two rounds of hospital-grade cleansing, and will undergo a third round this weekend.

“The real message here is there’s an issue for this single individual, and not the community,” said Sarasota Department of Health spokesperson Steve Huard.

Beeker said no other students or teachers have reported symptoms.

The district asked the community to keep the teacher in their thoughts and prayers.

“The family is grateful for the love and support given during this difficult time, and we remain hopeful their health and well-being will continue to improve,” the release stated.