West Australian child, adult diagnosed with meningococcal

A child and an adult have been diagnosed with the potentially deadly meningococcal disease in Western Australia.

Two WA residents have contracted meningococcal. Source: Pixabay (Pubic Domain)

A young child and an adult are recovering in Western Australia after being diagnosed with the potentially deadly meningococcal disease, but the state Health Department says the cases are not linked.

There have been 21 cases of meningococcal disease reported so far in WA this year.

A total of 46 incidents were notified in WA last year, which is double the number reported in 2016 and the most in any year since 2005.

It comes less than a week after another child and a young adult were diagnosed with the disease in separate incidents in WA.

A child get the meningococcal vaccine. Source: (AAP/David Crosling)

The WA Health Department said the previous cases were not linked and the people were infected with different types of the organism.

More to come