The five-year-old girl progressed to irreversible septic shock in just hours following two visits to the Axarquía Regional Hospital emergency department
Image of the Hospital Comarcal de la Axarquía and at the top, the little girl who died, Analía Cortés Castro, aged five. (E. CABEZAS Y SUR) 01/05/2026 Actualizado a las 15:24h."They told us it was a virus and to go home... and in a few hours, my daughter was dying." With voices broken by ... grief, Ana Castro and Moisés Cortés, parents of five-year-old Analía, recounted to SUR the 16-hour sequence that ended their daughter’s life on 20 April at the Materno Infantil Hospital in Málaga.
The young girl, a resident of Vélez-Málaga, was taken to the Axarquía Regional Hospital in the early hours of the morning with a fever, chest pain, and a seizure. "She had a fever and had suffered a convulsion, but they told us it was a viral process," her parents explained. They returned home after she was discharged just three hours after admission.
The girl had a fever of 38.8 degrees, but no skin lesions or meningeal signs, so home treatment was prescribed
According to clinical reports from that initial visit seen by SUR, the girl was diagnosed with a viral infection and febrile convulsion. The emergency report states that the examination did not detect clinical signs of severity at that time. While she had a temperature of 38.8°C, there were no skin lesions or signs of meningitis, and she was prescribed home treatment.
Rapid deterioration and septic shock
However, the child’s condition deteriorated rapidly. "She wasn't getting better; on the contrary, she was getting worse," the parents explained. Hours later, they returned to the hospital. "Spots started appearing on her skin, and then they told us she was very ill," her mother added, still struggling to process the tragedy.
From that point, the progression was fulminant. The girl - the middle child of three - was rushed to the Málaga Materno Infantil Hospital in critical condition. Medical reports reflect a case of severe sepsis with signs of shock, skin lesions compatible with petechiae, and multi-organ failure.
'They only took her temperature'
The final diagnosis confirmed an infection by Neisseria meningitidis, the bacterium that causes meningococcal meningitis. This disease can progress with extreme speed and, in its most aggressive forms, can lead to death within hours.
Despite medical efforts, the child suffered irreversible septic shock and passed away at 6.37pm that same day. "We don't want money; we want justice. My daughter should have been given more tests. During the first visit to emergency, they only took her temperature, despite me insisting that my little girl was not well," her parents maintained.
The case has caused profound shock in Vélez-Málaga and prompted the intervention of the Patient’s Defender Association (El Defensor del Paciente). The group has requested that the Prosecutor’s Office investigate the incident to determine if there was medical negligence.
The Patient Ombudsman has asked the Public Prosecutor's Office to investigate what happened
The Regional Government of Andalusia (Junta de Andalucía) has defended the care provided, stating the minor was treated according to the symptoms she presented at each stage. They highlighted the diagnostic difficulty of these infections in the early phases when symptoms are often non-specific.
Health sources noted that bacterial meningitis can evolve incredibly quickly, moving from seemingly mild symptoms to a critical situation in hours, particularly when it develops into meningococcal sepsis. Following her death, the regional government activated prophylaxis protocols in the girl's family and school environments to prevent further spread; no new cases have been detected.
While the specific serotype is still awaiting microbiological confirmation, the family insists that their goal is to clarify exactly what happened and ensure accountability.