The 17-year-old being treated for bacterial meningitis at Nicosia general hospital died on Wednesday in intensive care, Okypy spokesman Charalambos Charilaou said.

The teen had been intubated in the ICU for days with meningococcal sepsis and died on Wednesday due to complications.

Charilaou said the 17-year-old had developed serious complications as a result of meningitis and did not manage to recover.

Two more incidents of bacterial meningitis had been reported recently, the first a student of a lyceum in Limassol and the second an infant in Paphos.

Both have been discharged from hospital.

In 2024, the ministry recorded four cases of meningococcal disease. Since the start of 2025, there have been three cases, all unrelated and not part of an outbreak.

The ministry of health has issued statements explaining that the meningococcus bacteria spreads through close contact, typically via respiratory droplets.

The risk is particularly high for those living in the same household as the patient, especially children. It also applies to individuals in close contact with the infected person in confined spaces, such as classrooms or offices.

Importantly, the ministry clarified that meningococcus is not spread by brief or casual contact.
Vaccination remains the most effective preventive measure against meningitis. The World Health Organisation notes that vaccines are the most effective way to provide long-lasting protection against bacterial meningitis.

“Meningitis vaccines can prevent infection with 70-80 per cent efficacy, depending on the brand,” Dr Panayiotis Papastergiou, coordinator of the antimicrobial agents’ logistics team at Limassol general hospital, told the Cyprus Mail.