Plea to parents over meningitis risk

Parents were today urged to remain vigilant for the symptoms of meningitis despite a fall in the number of cases diagnosed last year.

Minister of State Tim O’Malley said increased immunisation programmes had been effective in battling the virus but warned that dangers remained at the launch of the Meningitis Awareness Campaign.

“According to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre, provisional figures indicate that 262 cases of bacterial meningitis were notified in 2004 which is a welcome reduction on last year (311 cases were notified in 2003),” Mr O’Malley said.

“Of the bacterial meningitis notifications in 2004 only five were group C cases while in 2000 group C disease was responsible for 139 cases.

“This sizeable reduction in the number of cases – a 96% reduction – is due to the success of the meningococcal group C (Meningitis C) immunisation campaign.”

The minister said there was still some way to go to achieving the Meningitis Research Foundation’s vision of a world free of meningitis and septicaemia, but the declining numbers in the last few years were steps in the right direction.

Mr O’Malley advised everyone to remain ever vigilant about meningitis and septicaemia.

He said Group B of the disease now accounts for the vast majority of the meningococcal disease notifications in Ireland and as there is no effective group B vaccine suitable for routine immunisation we must be constantly watchful for the signs and symptoms of this disease.

Meningitis (both viral and bacterial) can develop very quickly and unexpectedly and septicaemia is even more aggressive.

Meningitis and septicaemia can kill in hours. People who recover can be left with permanent disabilities or a range of after-effects that dramatically alter their lives.

Disabilities include brain damage, hearing loss and amputations. Meningitis and septicaemia can, however, be successfully treated if identified in time.

“It is crucial, therefore, that students, parents of young children and healthcare professionals be vigilant where this disease is concerned and that they seek medical advice without delay where the symptoms of these diseases are present,” Minister O’Malley said.

“The information provided by the Meningitis Research Foundation will assist in raising the awareness level of parents and students to the relevant signs and symptoms.”