FLORENCE, ITALY – A 22-year-old American woman studying in Florence has been diagnosed with meningitis C, the latest of dozens of people to contract the disease in Tuscany in recent months.
The woman is being treated in Florence’s Santa Maria Nuova hospital, in the centre of Florence. Local health authorities said in a statement that her situation is stable and she does not appear to be facing serious complications.
Meanwhile a 23-year-old man from Bagno a Ripoli near Florence who was hospitalised with meningitis C on Sunday is recovering, authorities said.
In total, there have been nine recorded cases of the disease in Tuscany since the start of the year, and two deaths.
On January 27, public health authorities extended a free vaccination campaign for people aged 20-45 to the entire region. That campaign was started last year and was extended to June this year.
Meningitis is an acute inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, known collectively as the meninges. The inflammation may be caused by infection with viruses, bacteria, or other microorganisms, and less commonly by certain drugs. Meningitis can be life-threatening because of the inflammation’s proximity to the brain and spinal cord; therefore, the condition is classified as a medical emergency.
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