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Adult diagnosed with meningococcal disease

Staff WriterWestern Suburbs Weekly

AN adult is currently recovering after being diagnosed with meningococcal disease, the WA Department of Health announced today.

The adult has been diagnosed with meningococcal serogroup Y disease, bringing the number of reported cases of the invasive disease to 19 this year.

The Department of Health said of the 19 cases, six have been serogroup B, six serogroup W, five serogroup C and two serogroup Y meningococcal infections.

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

A vaccine to protect against four serogroups of the meningococcal disease, which are serogroups A, C, W and Y, is offered free to all children in WA at 12 months of age, with a catch-up program for children who have not yet received the vaccine and who are aged 1-4 years.

Meningococcal bacteria are not easily spread from person-to-person and are carried harmlessly in the back of the nose and throat by about 10-20 per cent of the population at any one time.

The bacterium is present in droplets discharged from the nose and throat when coughing or sneezing, but is not spread by saliva and does not survive more than a few seconds in the environment.

Very rarely, the bacteria invade the bloodstream or tissues and cause serious infections.

Sometimes, but not always, symptoms may be accompanied by the appearance of a spotty red-purple rash that looks like small bleeding points beneath the skin or bruises.

Symptoms of invasive meningococcal disease may include high fever, chills, headache, neck stiffness, nausea and vomiting, drowsiness, confusion, and severe muscle and joint pains.

Young children may not complain of symptoms, so fever, pale or blotchy complexion, vomiting, lethargy or inactivity, poor feeding and rash are important signs.

The Department of Health said although treatable with antibiotics, meningococcal infection could progress very rapidly, so it was important that anyone experiencing these symptoms seeks medical attention promptly.

With appropriate treatment, most people with the disease recover, although around 5 to 10 per cent will die and around 15 per cent may experience complications such as hearing loss, or gangrene requiring skin grafts or amputations.