There Is No Meningitis Epidemic, Health Official Say
During the last couple of weeks many have become worried at the current cases of meningitis that has already taken two lives and has five more in hospital, mostly concentrated in Heredia.

Officials of the department of Vigilancia Epidemiológica del ministerio de Salud assure there is no meningitis epidemic in the country amd that the cases publicized in the media are normal.

Willy Carrillo, a spokesperson for Salud, said that these types of cases appear all year round. The difference in the last couple of weeks is that three of the cases have the same origin, the Parque Industrial Global Park, in Heredia, which is now under control.

Carrillo said that if there were an epidemic, all the cases would be related and he emphasized that they are not.

Salud officiasl say that in 2002 there were 803 cases, 341 in 2003 and 1.373 cases in 2004, of both the viral and bacterial meningitis and each year 45 deaths are recorded.

This year, seven cases have been reported. Jeremías Bravo, of Heredia, and José Carranza, of Alajuela died of bacterial meningitis during the past two weeks. The last two patients suspected of being infected are still under observation by doctors at the San Vicente de Paúl hospital in Heredia.

The mother of Carolina Araya, who is a student at the Academia Nacional de Policía (National Police Academy) in San José, was the latest to be admitted to hospital


Meningitis is an inflammation of the meninges, the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord. The inflammation is usually caused by bacteria or viruses (viral meningitis is also called aseptic meningitis).

Many of the bacteria or viruses that can cause meningitis are fairly common and are more often associated with other everyday illnesses. Sometimes, however, they spread to the meninges from an infection in another part of the body. The infection can start anywhere, including in the skin, gastrointestinal tract, or urinary system, but the most common source is the respiratory tract.