The Department of Health has reported an adult diagnosed with meningococcal serogroup B disease and is
currently recovering.
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.
To date in 2023, four meningococcal cases have been reported in WA; three cases
were serogroup B and one was serogroup Y.
In 2022, a total of 18 meningococcal cases were reported and there were no
deaths.
There are two types of meningococcal vaccines available: one protects against four
serogroups of the meningococcal disease (serogroups A, C, W and Y) and the other protects against serogroup B.
The MenACWY vaccine is offered free to all children at 12 months of age. In
addition, the MenACWY vaccine is offered to all Year 10 students, with a free catch-up program for
15-19 year-olds.
Due to a higher rate of meningococcal disease in Aboriginal children in WA, the
MenACWY vaccine is offered free to Aboriginal children from age 6 weeks to 12 months of age. The menB
vaccine is free for all Aboriginal children aged up to 2 years of age.
Both these vaccines are also free for people of all ages with certain medical risk
conditions. People not eligible for free vaccines can request them through their immunisation provider for a
fee.
Meningococcal bacteria are not easily spread from person-to-person. 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.
Meningococcal bacteria are carried harmlessly in the back of the nose and throat by
about 10 to 20 per cent of the population at any one time. 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 (inactivity),
poor feeding and rash are important signs.
Although treatable with antibiotics, meningococcal infection can progress very rapidly, so it is important that
anyone with these symptoms seeks medical attention urgently.
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 long-term complications such as hearing loss, limb
amputations or brain damage.
