Did Cadiz City man die of meningococcemia?

BACOLOD CITY — A health official yesterday confirmed that a 40-year-old tricycle driver in Cadiz City, Negros Occidental died of meningococcemia at a hospital Monday morning.

Cadiz City health officer Merly Jane Regalado, in an interview with Radyo Bombo, said that Allen Honofre of Brgy. Zone 1 died of meningococcemia after being brought to four hospitals when he got sick after attending an alumni gathering Saturday.

Regalado said Honofre was first taken to the Cadiz City Emergency Clinic Sunday night but, when his situation got worse, he was referred by physician Sandra Arroyo to the Cadiz City District Hospital, Bombo Radyo reported.

When his situation further worsened, he was transferred to the Teresa L. Jalandoni Provincial Hospital in Silay City. After that he was brought to the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital in Bacolod City.

Based on his death certificate, the patient died of septic shock, and provincial health officer Ernell Tumimbang has not confirmed yet if Honofre died of meningococcemia.

Regalado added that the city health personnel have given prophylaxis treatment to Cadiz residents who were with the victim at the alumni gathering.

Last November, the deaths of two children in Sipalay City were earlier suspected to be caused by meningococcemia, creating panic among residents of Sipalay and nearby localities.

A day after, health authorities issued an advisory that the deaths were not caused by meningococcemia.

According to Medline Plus website, www.nlm.nih.gov, meningococcemia is an acute and potentially life-threatening infection of the bloodstream. It is caused by bacteria called Neisseria meningitides, which frequently lives in a person's upper respiratory tract without causing visible signs of illness.

The bacteria can be spread from person to person through respiratory droplets, such as if one is near someone afflicted with the disease, sneezing or coughing. —