Meningitis warning after death of boy

THE HSE has advised the public “to be continually vigilant” of meningitis following the death of a teenage boy in Co Tipperary on Wednesday.

Michael McGrath (17), from the village of Grangemockler, left his school on Tuesday feeling unwell and was taken by his parents to South Tipperary General Hospital in Clonmel on Wednesday morning.

He died later that day. The HSE said the death was “suspected to be due to septicaemia, which may have been caused by meningococcal infection”, but that further tests were being carried out.

The teenager was a sixth-year student at Coláiste Éamann Rís in Callan, Co Kilkenny. The school released a short statement expressing shock and sadness “at the sudden death of a pupil”.

Julie Heslin, a population health specialist with the HSE, said that if meningitis is diagnosed early and treated promptly, “most people make a complete recovery”.

She recommended that “if people have any doubts or fears about symptoms” they should seek immediate medical advice because their condition can deteriorate “rapidly, sometimes within a matter of hours”.

The disease, which is more common at this time of year, may produce flu-like symptoms in adults such as fever, vomiting, severe headache, neck stiffness and joint pains, dislike of bright lights, drowsiness or coma.