The HSE is warning people to be wary.
The Health Service Executive (HSE) has issued a warning to the public over an increased level of meningococcal meningitis and septicaemia in recent weeks.
In a statement published today (9 January), the HSE has warned the public to "be vigilant regarding meningococcal meningitis and septicaemia." The statement notes that there have been 11 cases diagnosed in the past two weeks.
Three patients have already died from meningococcal infection, and the HSE has said that their deaths were directly attributable to the infection.
The 11 cases diagnosed between the last week of 2018 and the first week of 2019 are more than double the rate for the same period in the previous years (5). Cases of meningococcal infection also increased from 76 to 89 between 2017 and 2018.
Early symptoms of adult meningitis are very similar to those for numerous include:
- a severe headache
- fever
- nausea (feeling sick)
- vomiting (being sick)
- feeling generally unwell
