The Department of Health (DoH) in Davao City on Tuesday disclosed that a four-year-old child died of meningococcemia in Davao City last Friday even as the family and neighbors of the child have been given antibiotics to combat the spread of the illness.

Meningococcemia may be transmitted through direct close contact with contaminated individuals or their respiratory discharges. Its contamination is seasonal and occurs mostly during colder months.

The illness, endemic to Asia, may lead to organ failure, severe disability or death.

The fatality was recorded as Davao City’s first case of meningococcemia after the result of the confirmatory test on the blood sample of the boy who died at the Brokenshire Hospital Integrated Health Ministries, Inc. tested positive for meningococcal bacteria.

According to DOH-Davao regional director Annabelle Yumang, the agency is continuously gathering information from places that the deceased patient had visited to know the people who may have come into direct contact with him.

But so far, she noted that none of those people have manifested any sign or symptoms that are similar to the case definition of meningococcemia but assured the public that the agency will continue the surveillance and monitoring for 10 days after their last exposure to the patient.

Yumang said the city had 13 suspected cases of meningococcemia this year, three of them died, while post-exposure prophylaxis was immediately administered to the pupils and teachers of a pre-school where the boy studied, family members and emergency room staff of the hospital.

“A team from the department visited the school and met with teachers and parents of other children to alleviate fears and ensure that they have correct information about the disease,” said Yumang.

Meantime, Dr. Allyne Aguelo, a pediatric infectious disease specialist, explained that the risk factors of a meningococcal disease was a previous upper respiratory tract infection, “probably a viral infection.”

“If you see viral infection in the respiratory area, especially if the kid is immunocompromised, then the child should be considered immunocompromised – immune system not very good for five years old below,” said Aguelo.

“The natural reservoir of this bacteria is our nasal pharynx – in our nose. It’s either it’s just there or it can cause disease. There are risk factors triggering the bacteria to become invasive. For this particular patient, he had a previous viral infection and then he acquired meningococcemia,” she added.