A six-month-old baby died of bacterial meningitis in Concordia, west of Santa Catarina. The information was confirmed this Thursday afternoon (23) by the Municipal Health Secretary. The child’s death occurred at a San Francisco hospital, where he was admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit.

The child was admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit at a San Francisco hospital. – Photo: Pixabay/Disclosure/ND

Another two-month-old baby was hospitalized with meningitis, but his clinical picture is assessed as stable. Confirmed cases are being monitored by the health sector throughout the state.

about illness

Bacterial meningitis is endemic in Brazil. This basically means that new cases are expected every year, with rare outbreaks and epidemics. Interestingly, most often these waves occur in autumn and winter. Another detail is that men are most affected by this disease.

Between 2007 and 2020, 87,993 cases were confirmed nationwide. In 2020, the lowest number of cases in the last two decades was recorded: 357 cases.

Symptoms of bacterial meningitis are severe headache, stiffness in the neck and neck, fever, nausea, vomiting, confusion, and sensitivity to light. They may progress to loss of consciousness, development of gangrene in the extremities of the body, in addition to convulsions, delirium, tremors throughout the body, and even coma.

Transmission occurs through respiratory secretions, saliva and very close contact with another infected person. Therefore, it is a contagious disease, although transmission is not very easy.