Unusual cluster of meningitis cases prompts warning to young adults to be vigilant

Meningitis is a serious illness involving inflammation of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, and can be caused by a variety of different germs, mainly bacteria and viruses.

Young adults have been urged to look out for signs of meningitis, as the HSE continues to investigate an unusual cluster of deaths linked to meningococcal meningitis and septicaemia.

While meningitis is more often associated with children aged under five, three of four cases under investigation are linked to young adults.

Two deaths have been confirmed, one in Limerick and one in Galway and it is understood a third is under investigation.

Department of Public Health Mid-West public health specialist Dr Kenneth Beatty said various reasons were being investigated, including the impact of isolation.

“If you look at the number of cases reported to the HPSC over the last couple of years, we did see a substantial drop in the numbers, and that is likely to be linked with people not socialising, not mixing as much,” he said.

It’s reasonable to assume that the increased mixing may have had some impact here, but really we don’t know for sure.”

Treatment can be given if the symptoms are recognised early.

“It’s about how the disease progresses. It starts off as an infection of the lining of the brain and the lining of the spinal cord and that’s why you get the headache and sensitivity to light,” he said.

“If you act on it at that stage, it can be treated safely with antibiotics. The problem is if the infection enters the blood stream you can develop septicaemia and that is where you start to see the other symptoms like the rash and drowsiness.” 

Septicaemia, which triggers sepsis, is more difficult to treat.

“This age group would not have been offered a meningitis B vaccine as part of their regular childhood vaccines, it’s not that there was a gap, it just wasn’t on offer,” he said.

We want to get a message out to people in this late teen group, maybe starting college and the message is really about knowing the signs of meningitis and knowing to act when you see them.” 

Vaccine

The MenB vaccine was introduced for children born on or after October 1, 2016. Parents of older children can get the vaccine through GPs, although this costs about €150 per shot in a two-dose regime.

There are different strains of bacterial meningitis, with five causing the most serious disease.

“Meningitis B and C vaccines are given as part of the primary vaccination schedule,” Dr Beatty said. 

“In first year in secondary school, children are offered a booster which covers meningitis A, C, W and Y. B and C would be the most commonly seen in Ireland.” 

Cases have been seen previously in this age-group, he said.

“It is definitely unusual to see such a clustering of serious cases around the country with such serious outcomes.”

“It is not unusual to see a certain number of meningitis cases in this age-group. But it is most commonly seen in younger children, children under five and under one especially.” 

In January 2019, the HSE issued similar warnings following the deaths of three people within three weeks, following the identification of 11 cases.

For more information, see the HSE website.