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Fourth WA meningococcal case for 2015

Fourth WA meningococcal case for 2015

An elderly patient is recovering in hospital from meningococcal disease – the fourth case of the infection in WA this year.

The WA Health Department said today the person’s close contacts had been provided with information, and, where appropriate, antibiotics to minimise the chance that the organism might be passed on to others.

Meningococcal disease is an uncommon, life-threatening illness caused by a bacterial infection of the blood or the membranes that line the spinal cord and brain.

Invasive meningococcal infection is most common in babies and young children, and older teenagers and young adults, but infection can occur at any age.

There is an average of 20 cases in WA each year, with 18 reported last year.