Genova hospital reports death from meningococcal infection

A 66-year-old man has died at the Policlinico San Martino hospital in Genoa following an invasive meningococcal infection. The patient was hospitalized after experiencing a cardiorespiratory arrest.

Medical examinations revealed the presence of Neisseria meningitidis in the lungs, which is noted as an unusual location for this bacterium, as it was not found in the cerebrospinal fluid typically associated with classic meningitis.

Health authorities have initiated contact tracing procedures to identify close contacts of the deceased and administer necessary prophylaxis.