A fourth teenager is in University Hospital in Galway with a suspected case of meningitis. The 14-year-old girl, who was attending Irish college in Connemara, is thought to have meningococcal septicaemia.
The Western Health Board says it is taking no risks and has decided to give antibiotics to all 300 children attending the college, staff and members of the teenager's household.
The Eastern Health Board has asked the parents of students who returned home from Colaiste Lurgan in the past week to contact the EHB today between 10 a.m. and noon at (01) 635-2129 and (01) 635-2179, to make sure that all students received preventive antibiotic treatment.
Three teenagers who contracted the disease earlier this week had been staying in one house near Colaiste Lurgan, Inverin, Co Galway, but the fourth was in a different house. The three, two 13-year-old boys from Co Kilkenny and a girl from Connemara, are "fine and are due for discharge" from University Hospital shortly, the WHB said.
The board says it wants to reassure the public that everything possible is being done to protect the public health. It advises people to be alert to any symptoms and to contact their local GP if a child becomes ill. The WHB has opened a helpline for queries. It is open today from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on 1-800-622211.
The symptoms of meningitis include severe headache, drowsiness and confusion, stiff neck, dislike of bright lights, frequent vomiting and fever. Bacterial meningitis is often accompanied by septicaemia (blood poisoning). This is the severest form of the disease and its symptoms include a rash which begins as tiny, red pinprick marks which develop into purple bruises or blood blistering.
Other indications of this form include very cold hands and feet, rapid breathing, pains in the limbs, joints, muscles and stomach, difficulty walking or standing, frequent vomiting, fever and loss of consciousness.
Meanwhile, the Southern Health Board has stressed that the three suspected cases of meningitis in Cork are apparently unrelated. One is from Cork city, the other two from Co Cork. All are "doing fine", the SHB confirmed.