Man dies as health teams scramble to ID contacts as deadly disease spreads

21 July 2023 , 13:46

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A man has been diagnosed as the first person to die from meningococcal in South Australia this year (Image: doctorsofsouthmelbourne.com)

A man has tragically died after contracting meningococcal as the disease terrifyingly rips through South Australia.

Health officials said they have identified "multiple" people who had come into contact with the 36-year-old man.

The man is the first person to have died from meningococcal in South Australia this year.

Officials have also alerted people who came into contact with a 13-year-old girl after she was diagnosed with the disease. A 15-year-old girl is also said to be infected.

They confirmed that both girls are in stable condition in hospital. It remains unknown as to whether the cases are connected at this time.

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Officials said ten people have been urged to take antibiotics, reports Daily Mail.

Centres of Disease Control and Prevention states the condition "refers to any illness caused by bacteria called Neisseria meningitidis. "

The website description added: "These illnesses are often severe, can be deadly, and include infections of the lining of the brain and spinal cord (meningitis) and bloodstream."

The number of cases has gone up by more than double in the space of a year, with 16 cases being recorded so far.

Symptoms include drowsiness, leg pain, a fever, lack of appetite and energy, as well as fits and convulsions.

It has been reported that young people can get a rash which doesn't disappear when pressed with clear glasses.

Last year, an 18-year-old girl passed away from the disease after attending a music festival in Canberra.

Partygoers who attended the Split Milk festival on November 26 were urged to stay vigilant after the student's death.

Karen Quick, the chief executive of Meningitis Centre Australia, commented at the time: “It's so sad to see such a young person die from a vaccine-preventable disease.

“It’s an awful disease, and a vaccine-preventable disease, and it’s imperative people get the vaccine if they can.”

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Experts stressed that early intervention can be lifesaving, reports The Guardian.

Dr Jeremy McAnulty, of New South Wales, previously said: “I urge everyone not to discount symptoms when they appear or assume it may be just a mild infection. If you suspect meningococcal disease, don’t wait for the rash – see a doctor immediately,” McAnulty said in a statement.

Monica Charsley