SEVENTEEN cases of meningitis have been confirmed so far this month in the Eastern Health Board area. Four people have died from the disease during that period. This is just one fewer than the number of deaths for all of 1996.
Meanwhile it is believed that a four month old infant died in a Dublin hospital from another, form of bacterial meningitis, not meningococcal, in recent, weeks.
The EHB has warned people to be vigilant for signs of the disease. Dr Darina O'Flanagan, the board's pub lick health specialist, said the number of deaths was cause for worry.
The deaths confirmed by the EHB this month include a woman Trinity College student, and a Dublin teenager.
"It is only the 23rd of the month and we have had 17 cases and four deaths so there is cause for concern," said Dr O'Flanagan.
Last January two people died from the disease.
She said that people who have suffered from a viral infections should be extra vigilant. "We have seen an increased incidence of meningitis in the last number of weeks. This can sometimes follow an increased amount of viral infections in the community, of which there were a lot around the Christmas period," she explained.
"We would advise people to be on the cautious side in relation to symptoms," she added.
In all of January last year there were 20 reported cases and the same number for the previous January, when there were four deaths.
Meningitis, or meningococcal disease to give it its proper title, commonly presents itself in two ways and can be transmitted by coughing, sneezing or kissing.
The most common type, viral meningitis, initially resembles the flu, with symptoms such as vomiting, fever, sore throat and aches and pains.
Meningococcal meningitis, however, progresses to other symptoms, including sensitivity to bright light, neck stiffness, drowsiness or coma.
The most important sign to be aware of is the development of a rash, which starts with one or two tiny pink spots which turn into tiny bruises.
Parents with small children should be particularly alert for these signs, as well as high temperature, vomiting or difficulties in waking the child. The family doctor should be contacted immediately.