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Remscheid Student Dies After Meningococcal Infection as City Treats Close Contacts

Officials say targeted antibiotics for identified close contacts have sharply reduced the risk of further cases.

Overview

  • All close contacts of the student were identified and given prophylactic antibiotics, which the city says has significantly curtailed transmission risk.
  • In-person instruction continues at the Röntgen-Gymnasium, with counseling offered by the health office and school psychologists through Monday.
  • More than 70 counseling sessions have already taken place, and an information hotline from the municipal health office remains available.
  • Authorities emphasize that infection risk generally concerns only people with direct, close contact, such as intimate contact or time spent in confined spaces.
  • The RKI notes invasive meningococcal disease is rare but often severe with a 7–15 percent fatality rate, and STIKO recently recommended vaccination for children aged 12 to 14.