The infant who died Sunday morning was indeed infected with meningococcus, health authorities confirmed.
A three-month-old baby was admitted to Bastia hospital on Saturday around 6 a.m. when he was in shock, and purpura fulminans – a severe form of blood infection, accompanied by skin lesions . These symptoms left little doubt as to their origin: in 4 out of 5 cases they are caused by meningitis.
The questions surrounding his death last Sunday were finally lifted. As the doctors suspected, he was a carrier of meningococcus.
As soon as he was admitted to the pediatric ward of the Bastia hospital, he had been taken care of and had received a powerful antibiotic treatment, before being considered for a transfer to the continent. A transfer that could not take place for lack of time.
70% of patients die
“This type of infection is extremely dangerous,” deplores Dr Eric Mallet, head of the pediatrics department at Bastia hospital. The body reacts so violently that it destroys itself, instead of destroying the bacteria. And statistics reveal, unfortunately, that 70% of patients die despite their care. “
The question of contamination now arises. In prevention, the child’s entourage was placed on antibiotic treatment.
But another non-fatal case of meningitis had indeed worried the Regional Health Agency (ARS) of Corsica in January about a possible epidemic risk. Ultimately, these two cases would not seem related.
“It is not a person who lives in the same geographical area so, a priori, we do not have to crosscheck, says Pascal Forcioli, director of the Bastia hospital. In the current state of our information, we are not in an epidemic situation. That said, now we have to be very vigilant over the days to come, to know if there are new cases that arise or not. “
The ARS declares itself very attentive to possible signs of an epidemic, and has announced that it will warn the population if new cases arise. Corsican residents and travelers must remain vigilant, and consult quickly in case of doubt.
Each year, meningococcal infections affect more than 500 people, and kill more than 10%. On January 16, a 7-month-old baby had already died from meningitis in the town of Saintes, in Charente-Maritime.
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