The death of the four-year old boy with meningitis and the hospitalisation of a three-week old baby, also with meningitis, have no relation, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Health Chris Fearne said today.

He explained that the two cases had different microbes of meningitis and that the two children had no means of connection.

Last Sunday a boy aged four died of a rare bacterial meningitis, which caused an alarm among parents whose children might have come into contact. The Health authorities handed out information leaflets to parents of the boy’s classmates and teachers, as reassurance that the disease does not spread.

Last Tuesday a baby was admitted to Mater Dei Hospital, also suffering from meningitis.

Fearne said that due to data protection he could not give out too much information regarding the three-week old baby being hospitalised, just that the baby is stabilised and that his thoughts are with the parents of that child.