Mall Santa tests positive for bacteria

TOLEDO (AP) -- A man who portrayed Santa Claus at an area mall tested positive for a bacteria that causes meningitis, health officials said Saturday.
The man was admitted to St. Luke's Hospital in suburban Maumee on Thursday with a respiratory ailment, according to the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department.
Tests showed that the man did not have meningitis but carried a bacteria that can cause the disease, said Health Commissioner Dr. David Grossman. Parents of children who may have been exposed to the man should call a doctor about preventive antibiotics, he said.
The man portrayed Santa at the Southwyck Mall in Toledo on Dec. 15 and Dec. 18-20.
Meningitis is an infection of the fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. High fever, headache and stiff neck are common symptoms.
Some forms of bacterial meningitis are contagious and can be spread through coughing and kissing, but none of the bacteria that cause meningitis are as contagious as things like the common cold or the flu, according to the CDC.