A CASE of meningitis in a two year old child has prompted an Eastern Health Board appeal to the parents of about 700 other children who visited a creche in a Dublin supermarket to make contact.
The child, who is in hospital, attended the playhouse at the Superquinn Shopping Centre in Sundrive Road, Crumlin, a number of times between Saturday, April 20th, and Friday, April 26th.
Parents whose children were in the playhouse at any time during this period are being asked to contact the EHB health centre at Old County Road, Crumlin, telephone 454 0175 today.
The EHB says the disease, meningococcal meningitis, is not highly infectious and transmission normally requires prolonged close contact.
Dr Darina O'Flanagan, specialist in communicable diseases with the EHB, said it was highly unlikely that a second case of the disease would occur among children who attended the playhouse.
About 10 per cent of the population carries the bacteria without ill effect. It is probable that the child was infected by a healthy carrier.
The EHB will offer antibiotics to children who were at the playhouse during the period "to eliminate the risk of a healthy person passing the organism on to someone who may be susceptible".
The symptoms are similar to those of flu and can include headache, vomiting, fever, widespread aches and pains and sore throat. It progresses to more serious symptoms such as sensitivity to bright lights, neck stiffness, confusion or delirium, drowsiness, unresponsiveness and even coma. A key sign is a rash which can start as one or two tiny pink spots anywhere on the body. These turn into tiny bruises which don't turn white when touched.
In babies, signs include going off their food, irritability, a high pitched cry, vomiting, drowsiness, and unresponsiveness.