Oristano, death from bacterial meningitis confirmed

Laboratory analysis has confirmed that the death of the 18-year-old from Ghilarza, who died at the hospital in Oristano after a brief period of hospitalisation for suspected meningitis, was caused by the bacterium Neisseria meningitidis group B. The local health authority has traced the deceased’s recent contacts by administering antibiotic therapy for prophylactic purposes. Maria Valentina Marras, head of the Department of Prevention of the Asl 5 of Oristano, has devised an extraordinary plan of vaccinations for the protection from meningococcus type B, which has been addressed to all young people in the province from 11 years old until 25 years old. The vaccine has been found to have immediate efficacy, meaning that it can protect individuals immediately against an eventual infection. Furthermore, it has been emphasised by experts that the vaccine is particularly recommended if the bacterium has been circulating in the area.