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This weekend in Chambéry, a two-year-old boy died of lightning meningitis. About 70 people who were in contact with the child in the days preceding his death will be treated and vaccinated as a preventive measure.
The Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regional Health Agency (ARS) confirmed the death of the young child, information initially disseminated by the Dauphine Libere. The ARS specified, Tuesday, June 20, that the child had contracted “invasive meningococcal infection”, more precisely a serogroup Y meningococcus. The little one attended a crèche in the city of Chambéry.
In an interview with France Bleu Pays de Savoie, the ARS detailed the measures put in place following the death of the little boy. “In accordance with the procedure in force for this notifiable disease, people who have been in contact with the child during the period of contagiousness have been identified, informed and directed to receive preventive treatment.“, specifies the Regional Health Agency. It is a treatment with antibiotics which is offered to people who have had recent close contact with the patient. You should know that the transmission of meningococcal disease only occurs in direct contact with an infected person, in particular via droplets of infected saliva.
In addition, vaccination with antibiotic prophylaxis “is being organized for certain contacts, according to the criteria defined by the ministerial circular”, specified the ARS. The people concerned by this preventive vaccination are members of the child’s family, children and people from the crèche.
No link to meningococcal B cases reported last summer in region
The ARS reports that this death has no connection with the twelve cases (including one fatal) of meningococcal B declared in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes last August. Those affected were adolescents and young adults who had frequented the Chambéry sector. A vaccination campaign was then launched in 112 municipalities in Savoie.
Meningitis: what are the warning signs to know?
Meningococci are bacteria present in the nose and throat, without necessarily being pathological fortunately. Meningococcal meningitis is transmitted by close contact, via droplets of saliva. It can, however, be lightning-fast, capable of knocking a person down in a matter of days or even hours.
The symptoms that should alert are the following:
- stiffness in the neck;
- Headaches ;
- Fever ;
- Vomitings ;
- Light discomfort;
- The appearance of purpura (red or purplish spots on the skin);
- An unexplained state of shock.
“In the slightest doubt, it is therefore advisable to contact the 15th or your attending physician urgently”, says the Ministry of Health.