Vic: meningococcal disease death a warning

AAP General News (Australia)
08-04-2000
Vic: meningococcal disease death a warning

Parents are being warned to be on the look out for signs of meningococcal diseases
following the death yesterday of a 12-year-old Victorian girl.

Health officials say it is the start of the peak season for the disease.

Dr JOHN CATFORD, the chief health officer of the human services department, says the
girl fell ill on Wednesday morning and was admitted to Geelong Hospital where she died
yesterday.

Dr CATFORD says the number of cases tends to increase in late winter and early spring,
although the disease is still very uncommon.

But he says the best way to deal with it is through early detection and intervention.

There are two kinds of meningococcal disease -- meningitis and septicaemia.

Meningitis signs include fever, stiff neck, headache, dislike of bright lights, vomiting
and drowsiness.

In septicaemia, there might be no headache and neck stiffness but there's extensive
skin rash and the patient can become comatose.

There have been 66 reported cases of meningococcal disease this year, six of them fatal.

AAP RTV nl/er/nf/slp/jx e

KEYWORD: MENINGOCOCCAL (MELBOURNE)

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