7-year-old dies of meningitis

A 7-year-old Coral Springs girl may have been the third South Floridian in a week to die of meningitis, but experts say the deaths don't signal an epidemic.

Eva Maria Ramirez died at Broward General Medical Center from what appears to be viral meningitis, doctors said. All of the other cases were of the bacterial variety.

Ricky Adrey, 16, of Boca Raton died on Tuesday and Kiara Parker, 5, of Belle Glade, died Nov. 18. Fergus Harnett, a Fort Lauderdale teenager, is hospitalized in Boston after being diagnosed while on a holiday visit.

"The fact that three cases of bacterial meningitis occurred during the winter months is not unusual," said Dr. Ben Schwartz, an epidemiologist with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. "It doesn't mean there is an outbreak."

Traveler hospitalized after I-95 shooting

TITUSVILLE _ A 43-year-old Port St. Lucie woman was in critical condition after a car stopped in front of hers on Interstate 95 south of Palm Bay. She was then shot in the shoulder.

Christina Lynn Ely's 9-year-old son, Alexander, was asleep in the back seat when the shooting took place and was not hurt in the predawn incident, according to investigators, who said they don't believe the attack was random.

_ Associated Press