FOUR people have died from meningitis in the Eastern Health Board area so far this year. The latest is believed to have been a Dublin teenager who died on Saturday evening in Beaumont Hospital.
The Fianna Fail spokeswoman on health, Ms Maire Geogheghan Quinn, has called for the establishment of a national communicable diseases surveillance centre to monitor illnesses such as meningitis.
She said few accurate statistics are available for the disease.
"The establishment of such a centre would not necessitate huge costs but would ensure that all diagnosed cases of diseases such as meningitis would be formally notified to the centre immediately," said Ms Geogheghan Quinn.
A spokeswoman for the EHB said the Dublin teenager had died from meningitis, but it would take several days before this could be confirmed by a laboratory.
Last Wednesday a Trinity College physiotherapy student in her 20s died, five days after falling ill. Twelve cases of the disease have been notified to the EHB this month.
Last year, there were five deaths in the EHB area and 145 cases of meningococcal meningitis, compared with 12 deaths and 152 cases in 1995.
The EHB's department of public health has advised all GPs to be particularly alert for signs of the illness.
The director of public health, Dr Brian O'Herlihy, said there had been an increased incidence of meningococcal meningitis in the EHB area this month. It was not solely confined to young children, but occurred in all age groups.
"An increased incidence of the disease can be expected in winter and early spring and can follow closely an increased incidence of viral infections in the community," he said.
Meningococcal disease, caused by bacteria, commonly presents in two main ways. Usually it initially resembles the common viral flu with symptoms such as headaches, vomiting, fever, widespread aches and pains and sore throat.
"This makes it difficult to differentiate from the commoner viral illness," he said.
However, meningococcal meningitis progresses to more serious symptoms such as sensitivity to bright lights, neck stiffness, confusion or delirium, drowsiness, unresponsiveness and even coma.
"A very important sign to watch out for is the development of a rash. This may start as just one or two tiny pink spots anywhere in the body. Then the spots turn into tiny bruises, which don't turn white when you touch them," he explained.
Signs in babies include going off their food, a high pitched cry, vomiting, drowsiness and unresponsiveness. If these symptoms occur, parents should call their family doctor immediately.