The Boston Public Health Commission (BPHC) said this week that an 8-year-old boy from Dorchester had died recently as a result of contracting streptococcus pneumoniae meningitis – also known as bacterial meningitis. BPHC said there was no cause for public concern as the case seems to be isolated. The boy was identified only as a Boston resident, but sources indicated he was a Dorchester resident and a Boston Public Schools student.

Streptococcus pneumoniae, also known as Pneumococcal disease, is a bacterial infection that can affect the lungs (e.g., pneumonia), ears (e.g., otitis), sinuses (e.g., sinusitis), lining of the brain and spinal cord (e.g., meningitis), or blood (e.g., bacteremia). Pneumococcal infections are most common during the winter and in early spring when respiratory diseases are more prevalent.