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Death from meningitis confirmed in Recife.

The case occurred last week in Recife and claimed the life of a 16-year-old girl; as of last week, 99 cases of the disease had been confirmed in the capital of Pernambuco.

Death from meningitis confirmed in Recife (Photo: Press Release)

Raphael Coutinho _PE247 – The Epidemiological Surveillance, linked to the Recife Health Department, confirmed that the death of teenager Maria Luísa Valença was caused by meningitis. However, the agency does not yet know if she was a victim of the most aggressive form of the disease. The results to determine this will only be ready next week, but the victim's family has undergone chemoprophylaxis to prevent possible spread.

Until last week, Recife officially registered 99 cases. However, the latest suspected cases have put the city on alert. Even so, the Epidemiological Surveillance does not believe there is a risk of an epidemic. Compared to last year, the number of registered cases of bacterial meningitis is the same, but the disease claimed five lives in 2011. Regarding the total number of meningitis cases, there has been a 42% reduction, from 171 to 99 this year.

There are two types of meningitis: viral meningitis, which is the milder form and generally does not progress to more serious conditions; and bacterial meningitis, a more dangerous and contagious manifestation, which is the meningococcal type and causes the most concern. Epidemiological surveillance warns of the main signs of the disease, which are high fever, headache, especially in the back of the neck, and vomiting. The Correia Picanço Hospital, in the Tamarineira neighborhood of Recife, is the main reference center for early identification, diagnosis, and treatment of meningitis.