Brazil: São Paulo City Hall confirms death by meningitis

On Wednesday, September 28, the Municipal Health Secretariat of São Paulo confirmed the death of a 42-year-old woman from meningitis.

She lived in the region that covers Vila Formosa and Aricanduva, two districts in the east zone of São Paulo City.

It is one of the five cases of type C meningococcal meningitis reported from July 16 to September 15. The others infected are a 2-month-old baby and adults aged 20, 21, and 61.

According to the city hall, Covisa (Health Surveillance Coordination) started prevention and control actions immediately after the reported cases.

Preventive medicines were distributed to people close to the infected patients, such as relatives or residents of the same household, besides the vaccination intensification in the region of residents from 3 months to 64 years old.

About 7,400 people were immunized against the disease in the last 15 days.

“It is worth clarifying that throughout the city, the number of cases has decreased this year in comparison with 2019, the year before the covid-19 pandemic. From January until September 26, 56 cases of meningococcal disease were reported throughout the capital.

“During the same period of 2019 [January to September], 158 cases of the disease were recorded, a reduction of 64.5% overall,” said the city government.

Meningococcal disease or meningitis is an inflammation of the meninges – membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord.

It can be caused by infections with several microorganisms, such as fungi, viruses, and bacteria. Prevention is done with the vaccine, available in all UBSs (basic health units) in the city.

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The immunization against meningococcal meningitis C must be given to babies at 3, 5, and 12 months. The vaccine against meningococcal meningitis ACWY, on the other hand, is applied in the 11 to 14-year age group.

On the 19th of this month, immunization was extended to teenagers aged 13 and 14. The vaccination campaign for this public will last until June 2023, as defined by the PNI (National Immunization Program).

“It is essential that parents and guardians keep their children’s vaccination up to date to protect them from the so-called immuno-preventable diseases, such as meningococcal meningitis, polio, diphtheria, whooping cough, measles, mumps, among others.

“Vaccines save lives, and this has become even more evident in the Covid-19 pandemic,” said the Municipal Health Secretary, Luiz Carlos Zamarco.

Citizens can check their vaccination status at the health unit. The address of the nearest clinic can be found on the Busca Saúde platform.

With information from Poder360

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