Six-year-old catches meningitis

12 November 2004

BRUSSELS – A Brussels school has been closed until Monday after a six-year-old boy contracted meningitis.

The pupil at Sainte-Genevieve primary in Etterbeek was diagnosed on Wednesday with meningococcal meningitis, the most serious form of the disease, which can be a killer.

The school’s headmistress Mrs Gittens told the news agency Belga:

“The child didn’t come to school on Wednesday. He was taken to Ixelles Hospital in the afternoon.”

On Wednesday and Thursday, the boy was in a highly critical condition.

On Friday, he was described as “stable”, but doctors said he could only be given the all-clear in a few days time.

So far, no other pupil seems to have caught the disease, but medicine has been given to families of children at the school.

The school’s 330 pupils – including the 36 in the same year as the meningitis victim – were sent home from classes until Monday and a firm was called in to disinfect the first year classes.

On Friday morning, the headmistress invited worried parents to a briefing at the school and said they could also call the school for advice on 02 736 43 40.

Subject: Belgian news