SINCE the start of the year, two adults have died of meningitis, both young women and both in Dublin. And earlier this month, a two year old Ballinasloe child died from meningococcal septicaemia (blood poisoning), a condition caused by the bacteria which can trigger bacterial meningitis.
There were 375 cases of bacterial meningitis reported in Ireland last year, according to the Department of Health. "This is an increase over previous years and reflects the unpredictable nature of this disease where the incidence of meningitis can increase without apparent reason," it says.
According to the Central Statistics Office, 13 people died from meningitis in the first six months of last year.
There are two forms of meningitis, viral and bacterial. Viral meningitis is not usually life threatening. The Department of Health estimates that one in 10 cases of bacterial meningitis may be fatal. Meningococcal is one of three forms of bacterial meningitis.