A 17-year-old student who had been hospitalised in critical condition with meningitis in the ICU of Nicosia General Hospital has passed away.
According to reports, the teenager had no underlying health conditions. He had been in the Intensive Care Unit at Nicosia General Hospital since the end of March after being diagnosed with meningococcal septicaemia.
It is worth noting that two other cases of bacterial meningitis had been previously recorded, involving a high school student in Limassol and an infant from Paphos.
In 2024, four cases of meningococcal disease were reported to the Medical Services. Since the beginning of 2025, three cases have been reported, which are not related to each other and do not constitute an outbreak.
In a recent announcement, the Medical Services and Public Health Authorities stated that transmission of the meningococcus requires close person-to-person contact through respiratory droplets.
The risk primarily concerns people who live in the same household as the patient (especially children), those who are in the same classroom daily, or adults working long hours in the same enclosed space (e.g., an office).
It was clarified that meningococcus is not transmitted through brief or casual contact.
Also read: 17-year-old with meningitis remains intubated in the ICU
