Type C meningitis kills two more in Bahia.
A hotel employee from Costa do Saupe was hospitalized and died yesterday afternoon; a 9-year-old girl, who according to the health department has no connection to the Saupe outbreak, died on Tuesday.
Agência Brasil – The Bahia State Health Department confirmed today (22) two more deaths from type C meningitis in the state. An employee of the Costa do Sauípe hotel chain, where an outbreak of the disease was registered, was hospitalized in a hospital in Salvador and died yesterday afternoon (21). A 9-year-old girl, who is not related to the Sauípe outbreak, according to the department, also died on Tuesday. Earlier this month, three employees of the Costa do Sauípe hotel chain died as a result of the disease.
To prevent further deaths and cases in the tourist region, people who showed symptoms of the disease or had contact with sick individuals took antibiotics. Since the measure was adopted, no new cases of meningitis have emerged, according to the Health Department. Hotel industry business owners and government authorities agreed on a mass vaccination of employees.
From January until now, Bahia has registered 70 deaths from meningitis. In the same period last year, there were 87 deaths. In a statement, the Ministry of Health said that the cases identified in Bahia are within the normal range. According to the ministry, meningitis is an endemic disease, meaning that cases can be registered throughout the year.
Meningitis is an inflammation of the meninges, the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord. It can be caused by bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Transmission occurs through direct contact between people living in the same environment, when the infected person expels droplets and secretions from the nose and throat. Symptoms include sudden high fever, intense headache, vomiting, nausea, stiff neck, and red spots on the skin.
There are vaccines against some types of meningitis, available in the immunization schedule for children, the group at highest risk of contracting the disease. To prevent meningitis, it is recommended that people avoid crowds and keep environments well-ventilated, as well as seek medical attention as soon as the first symptoms appear.