Meningitis kills toddler

2003-08-14 08:45

Christel Raubenheimer

Pretoria - About four hours after a 17-month-old baby started running a temperature and spots appeared on his body, he became the latest victim of feared meningitis and has died in a Centurion hospital.

Renier Steele was admitted to Unitas Hospital in Centurion after he had been "happy and healthy" at the Pikkewouterland nursery school the previous afternoon.

A hospital spokesperson confirmed that Renier died of meningitis.

Wohn Steele of Dorkingkloof said Renier was feverish and nauseous on Friday morning and his wife, Elize, took him to the doctor, who referred them to a paediatrician.

"Renier was admitted to the intensive-care unit, where he died a few hours later. He was buried on Wednesday.

Steele said: "Everything happened so quickly. We read up on the disease later."

Toddlers laughed and played at Pikkewouterland on Wednesday afternoon while principal Rita Bester confirmed Renier was happy and healthy on Thursday and had had a big plate of food at lunchtime.

Toddlers given preventive medication

She said she had been advised by a Lyttelton clinic to tell parents to be on the lookout for symptoms and to get preventive treatment.

By Saturday afternoon, she had managed to contact all the parents. Toddlers, as well as staff, had received preventive treatment.

There's been no further outbreaks of meningitis at the school, but the toddlers are being monitored carefully.

Bester says the family is being supported as far as possible by the school and other parents.

"Renier's mother has told us that she has accepted the death of her son."

A Centurion doctor says some parents have have asked for preventive medication for whe whole family.

Popo Maja, communication chief of Gauteng's department of health, says Renier's case does not signal a new outbreak of meningitis.

"It's a disease that usually happens between June and August. Maja says it's now "at the crest of the season".

He made this statement after a meningitis outbreak at Potchefstroom University a few months ago during which three students died.

Maja said there had been 88 cases of laboratory-confirmed meningitis since the beginning of the year.

He said that compared with occurances in the past three years, it doesn't show an increase."

"If the public takes precautions in time, serious consequences and death can be curtailed", said Maja.

- Beeld