SCCH Doc: Meningo suspect from DSB

San Carlos City Hospital (SCCH) head confirmed that there was a suspected meningococcemia case at the hospital but clarified that the patient, who died, was not from San Carlos.

Dr. Archilles A. Ponferrada, SCCH head, said that the 11-year old, female patient suspected of the deadly and contagious meningococcemia is from Barangay Bago, Don Salvador Benedicto. The patient was referred to SCCH on July 20, 10:00 AM.

Ponferrada said that the emergency room doctor's initial impression was that the patient was suffering from the disease. Thus, the patient was further referred to Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital, Bacolod City and left SCCH at around five in the afternoon of the same day.

Doctors at the regional hospital later informed the SCCH head that the child was already declared "highly suspected of meningococcemia." She died the next day at the said hospital and was immediately buried.

Ponferrada however added that there is nothing to worry yet since the case is not yet classified as 'confirmed.' The regional hospital will still perform a blood culture analysis and other tests before it can be declared a meningococcemia case.

SCCH nurses and staff who have had contact with the patient were already ordered prophylaxis. Ponferrada said that the hospital purchased medicines and that he had prescribed that the staff take them to prevent potential contagion.

Meningococcemia is a disease caused by the bacteria Neisseria meningitidis that basically dwells on the human upper respiratory tract. Initially, no visible symptoms of illness can be noticed. Once advanced, anxiety, fever, headache, irritability, muscle pain, nausea, and rash with red or purple spots are among the symptoms. Once severe, the patient then would suffer from changing level consciousness and would have large areas of bleeding under the skin.

The disease can spread when a patient coughs or sneezes and respiratory droplets come in contact with other persons.