Health Warning: Adelaide Man Dies After Contracting Meningococcal B + Know the Facts

The South Australian Health Department has confirmed a 53-year-old man has died after contracting invasive meningococcal disease.

Multiple people who have been in contact with the Adelaide man have been identified. They were directed to receive clearance antibiotics.

The deadly strain was the Serogroup B. This case highlights that whilst the disease is most prevalent in children, adults are also susceptible.

SA Health said there has been 18 cases of invasive meningococcal disease in SA so far this year, compared with 13 at the same time last year.

This included an 18-month-old boy from Mannum in the state’s Murray Mallee, who died in hospital after contracting the B-strain in April and a four year old boy hospitalised just last week.

National figures from the Federal Health Department showed there was 210 cases of invasive meningococcal in 2016. Nine people have died. Of those 210 cases, 87 were the W-strain, 79 were B-strain, 29 were Y-strain.

Invasive meningococcal B disease is the leading cause of life-threatening meningitis in the industrialised world. It develops rapidly, typically among healthy children and adolescents, and initial symptoms can often resemble the flu, making it hard to diagnose.

Even with the appropriate treatment, 1 in 10 people who contract the disease will die.

Important parent information on meningococcal disease

Who is at risk of Meningococcal Disease? 

Meningococcal disease can strike babies, children and adults – anywhere, at any time. Those most at risk are:

• Babies and children up to the age of 5 years – this group accounts for two thirds of cases (due to their less mature immune system and tendency to put things in their mouth and share food, drink and toys).
• Teenagers and young adults from 15 to 24 years – primarily because of the socially interactive lifestyle they lead, which is more likely to involve intimate activities such as kissing and sharing drinks.

Winter and early spring are higher risk times, because the many viruses around can weaken the body’s natural immune system. There is also the risk of catching a virus first, followed a few days later by a meningococcal infection, making the illness much harder to identify.

What are the symptoms of Meningococcal Disease? 

Meningococcal disease is a medical emergency. It can kill within hours, so early diagnosis and treatment is vital. Do not wait for the purple rash to appear as that is a critical stage of the disease. Be aware there are two different sets of symptoms, depending on whether it takes the form of meningitis or septicaemia (blood poisoning). A high fever is usually one of the symptoms.