Fifth person dies of meningococcal in WA

A woman has become the fifth person to die of meningococcal disease in WA this year, making her the sixth person diagnosed with the illness in recent weeks.

A woman has become the fifth person to die of meningococcal disease in WA. Source: AAP

A West Australian woman has died after contracting meningococcal disease.

The woman, believed to be aged in her 20s, is the fifth victim of the serogroup W type of meningococcal in WA this year.

So far this year there have been 40 cases of the disease, up from 23 in 2016, with a spike in the number of W and Y strains well above the long-term average of less than one case per year.

A free vaccination program for people aged 15 to 19 is being offered in WA, Tasmania, NSW, Queensland, and Victoria in 2017 and 2018.