MENINGITIS OUTBREAK WORRIES HEALTH OFFICIALS.

Byline: David R. Baker Daily News Staff Writer

The number of viral meningitis cases is rising in Los Angeles and Ventura counties, part of an increase statewide health officials say is puzzling and worrisome.

``We've got people getting sick, more than last year, but it's still within the range you'd expect to see,'' said Dr. Carol Peterson, a Los Angeles County Health Services Department epidemiologist.

Peterson said, however, that most cases tend to appear during the summer. ``It's the next couple of months that will tell the story,'' she said.

The illness is not fatal but typically brings its victims pounding headaches and stiff necks. The best way to avoid it, doctors say, is to wash your hands frequently and avoid sharing drinking bottles or glasses.

Since January, 119 confirmed or suspected cases have been reported to Los Angeles County's health department, up from 69 cases during the same period last year.

In Ventura County, 14 cases were reported from Jan. 1 through April 30 - up from only six during the comparable period in 1997.

Statewide, the number of cases has more than doubled, from 267 during the first four months of 1997 to 575 by the beginning of May 1998.

Health officials said they didn't know why the disease, an inflammation of tissue lining the brain and spinal cord, is hitting so many people this year. They note, however, that viral meningitis is notorious for dramatic, year-to-year changes in the number of cases.

``We're trying to find out if this is out of the ordinary and figure out what's causing it,'' said Lea Brooks, spokeswoman for California's health department.

Los Angeles County, for example, has had as many as 181 cases reported during the first six months of a particular year or as few as 69 in the same period, said Peterson.

Not to be confused with the more serious bacterial meningitis, viral meningitis can be caused by several viruses and is not treatable with antibiotics.

Marilyn Billimek, program coordinator for the county's communicable diseases office, said she fears the numbers might be only the ``tip of the iceberg'' because many sufferers are not hospitalized and their cases are not reported.