New figures show a significant fall in the number of cases of bacterial meningitis notified in the State last year. The decline in the most serious form of the disease has been welcomed but recent vaccination programmes have led many people to believe meningitis and septicaemia are diseases of the past.
Provisional figures for 2004 from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (formerly the National Disease Surveillance Centre) show 261 cases were notified last year, some 50 less than in 2003. There were also fewer deaths from bacterial meningitis last year. The disease claimed 12 lives in 2004 as opposed to 18 the year before.
The figures were published yesterday at the launch of Meningitis Awareness Month, an annual campaign by the Meningitis Research Foundation (MRF) and Boots chemists to raise awareness. While there was good general awareness of meningitis, some key myths and misconceptions continued to exist, the MRF said. This could act as a barrier to people gaining quick and urgent access to medical care when they do contract meningitis, it warned.
Information gathered from the MRF's 24-hour helpline, LoCall 1890 41 33 44, shows the success of recent vaccination programmes has led many people to believe that meningitis and septicaemia are diseases of the past. This is far from true, according to Ms Katie Doyle of the MRF. Although there were vaccines which provided excellent protection against some forms of the disease, they could not protect against them all.
Seven of the deaths in 2004 were from meningitis B, for which there is no vaccine at present. There is a vaccine to protect against meningitis C, and there was just one death from this form, in an adult.