A five-year-old girl from Longford town has died in a Dublin hospital of meningococcal meningitis. The girl, who was admitted to Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin, died on Thursday.
Symptoms of the disease had been noticed by her parents and she was rushed to Longford/ Westmeath General Hospital before being transferred to Dublin. She had been in good health up to 24 hours before her admission and the Midland Health Board described the case as an isolated one. Those who had been in contact with her during the previous two days were given preventive antibiotics.
The hospital last night declined to give any information about the girl's death as permission to release details had not been received from her parents.
Bacterial meningitis is often accompanied by septicaemia (blood poisoning). This is the severest form of the disease and its symptoms include a rash which begins as tiny, red pinprick marks that develop into purple bruises or blood blisters.
