health

Red alert for meningitis

The confirmation of four cases of meningitis in less than a week is keeping authorities from the Ministerio de Salud (Minsa) on red alert.

Four adults from the communities of La Siesta, Tocumen, Calidonia and Villa Grecia, who showed up at Minsa between Dec. 26 and Jan. 2, all showed symptoms of what was later determined to be the meningococcus bacteria, which causes inflammation of the protective membranes covering the central nervous system

Six cases of the disease were reported in 2007, the first three during the first six months of the year and the rest in October to December.

National health director Cirilo Lawson told reporters that the four patients with meningitis are in stable condition. He also urged people to seek medical attention as soon as they show symptoms characteristic of the disease, which include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, muscle pain and cold hands and feet.