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By GERALD LEIGH LAQUINON
Correspondent

HEALTH officials here yesterday said they were looking into the recent death of a man in Barangay Balulang over suspicions that he may have died of meningococcemia.

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Dr. Nimfa Torrizo, director of the Department of Health in Region 10, said the case has not been confirmed to be meningococcemia but the man’s last known contacts have been given preventive medication.

The man who died was reportedly a former mall employee who had shown symptoms of meningococcemia.

“This case is not yet confirmed [as meningococcemia] but it’s only suspected to be one,” said Torrizo.

She said a laboratory test was not made because of time constraints–the time of his admission to a hospital and his death “was too short.”

Torrizo said health authorities have started contact tracing procedures to know the people whom the victim got in contact with so that authorities can check on them, and give necessary treatment.

She said an information dissemination campaign was also started in the barangay where the dead man had lived.

The City Health Office has started an investigation into the case following reports that at least two physicians have stated that the man may have died of meningococcemia.

Over local radio, the dead man’s sister said he was brought to a private hospital because of his cough and fever. She claimed her brother was diagnosed with meningococcemia by a physician.

She said her brother was then brought to the stateun Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC) where physicians supposedly had the same findings.

City health officer Dr. Fe Bongcas said city hall facilitated the immediate burial of the victim. She said the family, although shocked, followed the CHO’s instructions.

Meningococcemia is known to be caused by a bacteria called Neisseria Meningitides. It can be contracted only when an individual comes into prolonged and close contact with an infected person.

The DOH said its symptoms include the sudden onset of high fever lasting for 24 hours, rashes appearing within 24 hours after onset of fever, and signs of meningeal irritation such as headache, nausea and vomiting, among others.

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