SOUTH AMBOY - An elementary school classroom was sanitized and the county Health Department notified after a teacher came down with viral meningitis, Superintendent of Schools Robert N. Sheedy said in a letter to parents Tuesday.

"This morning I was informed one of our elementary school teachers was diagnosed with viral meningitis," Sheedy said in a statement posted to the school's website. "She will be absent this week and will see her doctor before her return."

The superintendent informed the Middlesex County Health Department of the teacher's condition and sanitized the teacher's classroom and common area "prior to the arrival of staff and students" on Tuesday, the statement said.

In a letter to parents, which was posted on the district's website, Sheedy tried to calm fears.

"While this can be upsetting, the chance of your child or you also becoming ill with this disease is very small," Sheedy wrote.

"The South Amboy School District will work closely with public health officials to monitor the situation," the superintendent wrote.

Meningitis is an inflammation of the tissue that covers the brain and spinal cord. Those infected with viral meningitis, the most common type of meningitis, usually get better without treatment, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The letter also said that:

• About 90 percent of viral meningitis cases are due to common stomach viruses called enteroviruses. The illness is passed through saliva or stool, the superintendent wrote.

• Getting infected with one of the germs that can cause viral meningitis doesn't automatically mean that the person will get meningitis. Most people will get a cold, upset stomach or diarrhea.

• Antibiotics are not effective against viruses.

• There's no way to prevent the virus but that good hygiene, including frequent hand washing can reduce the chances of catching viral meningitis and other illnesses.

Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook.