WA pre-schooler, adult with meningococcal

Two separate cases of meningococcal disease have been diagnosed in a pre-school child and an adult, the WA Department of Health says.

A pre-school child and an adult have been diagnosed with meningococcal disease, bringing Western Australia's total cases to 19 this year.

The Department of Health said on Thursday the two cases were not linked and the patients were recovering in separate hospitals.

Their close contacts have been given information and, where appropriate, antibiotics and a vaccine to minimise the chance of the disease being spread.

Three people have died from meningococcal disease this year in WA - an adult in March, an adult in October and a young child in September.

Meningococcal disease is an uncommon, life-threatening illness caused by a bacterial infection of the blood and/or membranes lining the spinal cord and brain, and occasionally other areas such as large joints.

The Department of Health said incidents of the disease had decreased in WA over the past decade, with around 20 cases reported each year, down from a peak of 86 cases in 2000.

Symptoms may include high fever, chills, headache, neck stiffness, nausea and vomiting, drowsiness, confusion and severe muscle and joint pains. A spotty red-purple rash may accompany other symptoms.

A vaccine to protect against the serogroup C type of meningococcal disease is provided free to one-year-old children.

A vaccine against serogroup B, the most common type in WA, has recently become available on prescription and combination vaccines are also available to protect against other types of the organism.


Share
2 min read

Published

Source: AAP


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world