Umbria man with meningitis in coma

(ANSA) - Terni, February 17 - A 51-year-old man was hospitalized in a coma with pneumococcal meningitis Wednesday in the Umbrian city of Terni.
    Local public health authorities cautioned the public that this strain of the meningitis bacteria doesn't cause epidemics so people who came into contact with the patient won't need preventive treatment.
    Also on Wednesday, public health sources said a 24-year-old man was hospitalized with meningitis C last night in intensive care at San Jacopo Hospital in the Tuscan city of Pistoia.
    Anyone who came into contact with him in the past two weeks are being given preventive antibiotic treatment, the sources said.
    The patient lives in the Tuscan town of Quarrata, and on February 6 took Alitalia Flight 518 leaving Pisa at 18:15 and arriving in Tirana, Albania, at 19:55 local time.
    He returned February 9 on Alitalia Flight 517 leaving Tirana at 20:40 and arriving in Pisa at 22:30.
    Anyone who was on either of those planes should turn to their GP, emergency room or local public health clinic for preventive anti-meningitis treatment, officials said.
    Tuscany has seen a significant rise in meningitis cases in recent months, Governor Enrico Rossi said Tuesday that the region would vaccinate 1.5 million residents against the potentially fatal infectious disease.