A small town on the Costa Blanca has been left in shock following the sudden death of a 17-year-old girl – now confirmed to have been caused by meningitis.

Gemma, from Benissa in Alicante, died on Monday at Denia Hospital after being rushed there in the early hours from her local health centre.

She was admitted to intensive care but tragically passed away just hours later.

Health authorities have since confirmed meningitis as the cause of death, prompting the immediate activation of a public health protocol to trace and treat all close contacts in a bid to prevent any further spread.

Officials had already begun the process before laboratory confirmation arrived on Tuesday morning, acting on clinical suspicion.

The case has sent waves of grief through Benissa, where Gemma was well known for her involvement in local life.

She was a keen basketball player with CB Benissa and had been named as a ‘festera’ for this year’s Puríssima Xiqueta celebrations – due to take place in just a few weeks.

According to local reports, she had already been feeling unwell days earlier but believed it to be a cold.

Tributes have poured in from across the community.

UD Benissa said it was one of those pieces of news ‘we never want to hear’, offering condolences to her loved ones and the entire town.

CB Benissa remembered her as a respectful, warm and dedicated young person who had been part of the club since childhood and left a mark both on and off the court.

The Comissió de Festes Puríssima Xiqueta 2026 has suspended its planned events for the weekend as a mark of mourning.

Mayor Arturo Poquet described it as a ‘very sad day’ for Benissa, while her school, IES Josep Iborra, said the entire educational community was ‘deeply affected’ by the loss.

Meanwhile, health officials have moved quickly to contain any risk linked to the case.

Meningitis is typically spread through respiratory secretions such as coughing, sneezing or close contact. Symptoms can include fever, headaches, vomiting and skin rashes – and in more advanced stages, neck stiffness or behavioural changes.

Doctors stress that vaccination is the most effective form of prevention, while close contacts are being given preventative antibiotics and monitored closely.

In the Valencian Community, around 100 cases of bacterial meningitis are recorded each year, with higher incidence during colder months.

However, vaccination rates against severe forms of the disease have dropped in recent years – a trend experts say is concerning.