Final answer:
Maria Nackid, the survivor who contracted meningitis, died in the year 1998, making option A the correct answer.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student has asked when Maria Nackid, the first survivor to die of meningitis, passed away. Maria Nackid died in 1998, which makes option A the correct answer. Meningitis is an inflammation of the brain and spinal cord membranes, typically caused by an infection. The condition can be life-threatening due to the inflammation's proximity to the brain and spinal cord; therefore, it's treated as a medical emergency.