Ministry of Health investigates death of 8-year-old child with suspected meningitis in Bahia

The Ministry of Health and the Bahia Health Department (Sesab) are investigating the death of an 8-year-old girl with suspected meningitis in Luís Eduardo Magalhães, in the west of the state.

The child, identified as Angela Sofia Paranaguá de Araújo, died on Friday (16), after being treated at the municipality's Emergency Care Unit (UPA).

Despite the suspicion, there is still no confirmation that the death was caused by the disease. According to the Ministry of Health, samples were collected for laboratory analysis, but the results are not yet available.

Sesab also reported that there is no confirmation that the girl died as a result of meningitis and that an epidemiological investigation is underway to confirm or rule out the suspicion.

Meningitis is an inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. The disease can be caused by viruses, bacteria and other agents. Some bacterial forms can evolve quickly and require immediate medical attention.

According to family members, Sofia started to feel headaches and stomach pains on Thursday (15). She was taken to the UPA, where she received medication, underwent blood sampling for tests and was released.

The next day, the girl showed signs of disorientation and convulsions. The family returned with her to the health unit, but the child did not survive.

In an interview with TV Oeste, a TV Bahia affiliate in the region, Sofia's mother said that, during the second treatment, her daughter received an injection and was taken to the red room, intended for patients in serious condition. Shortly afterwards, death was confirmed.

The family questions the procedures adopted by the UPA medical team and points out alleged negligence in care. Relatives also criticize the lack of forensic examination of the girl's body immediately after her death.

According to family members, despite requests for the examination to be carried out, the body was initially released for burial. During the wake, a team from the Technical Police Department (DPT) went to the scene and collected the body for an autopsy.

The death certificate, to which TV Oeste had access, points to meningoencephalitis as the cause of death. The condition is characterized by inflammation that affects the meninges, membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord, and the brain tissue itself.

At the Legal Medical Institute (IML), samples were collected from the brain, heart, spleen, liver and lungs for tests that should help clarify the cause of death and identify the possible infectious agent.

In a note, the Ministry of Health reported that, according to the records sent by the City of Luís Eduardo Magalhães to the Strategic Information Center for Health Surveillance (Cievs), there are no suspected cases of meningitis registered in the municipality.

The ministry, however, confirmed that the death that occurred on October 16 is under investigation and that the results of laboratory analyzes are still awaited.

After Sofia's death, family members of classmates from the school where she studied sought out health units in the city in search of preventive care. Other people who had contact with the girl also went to the UPA to receive medication.

Sofia's sister, aged 1 year and 3 months, was admitted to the unit with flu-like symptoms, but was discharged this Tuesday (20).