A recent Santa Cruz Harbor High graduate, who was attending community college classes in San Luis Obispo County, has died. Although the diagnosis of what Joseph Clouse died from is still underway, he is thought to have succumbed to Bacterial Meningitis. The San Luis Obispo County Health Department is working with local hospitals, Cuesta College, and people close to Clouse…and those people are receiving preventative antibiotics.
Although people who Clouse kissed, or shared eating utensils or drinking vessels with, are potentially at-risk….the bacteria is not readily transmitted by breathing the same air, or being where someone with meningococcol disease has been. The signs and symptoms of Bacterial Meningitis often include the sudden onset of fever, headache, and a stiff neck. The disease can also start with symptoms similar to Flu, and can include nausea, vomiting, rash, confusion and increased sensitivity to light. People with these symptoms are encouraged to seek medical care, because early treatment is critical, as the infection can prove deadly very quickly.
A Go Fund Me account has been set up to help Clouse’s family with memorial, funeral, and medical expenses. The account can be found at: GoFundMe.com/joseph-clouse-end-of-life-services
