NZ: Health plea after Taranaki children contract meningococcal disease

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Source: https://www.stuff.co.nz/taranaki-dai...is-in-taranaki

Health plea after Taranaki children contract meningococcal disease
ANDREW OWEN
Last updated 13:58, August 8 2018

Two Taranaki children are being treated for meningococcal disease, it has been confirmed.

An 11-year-old boy from the Stratford area and a 5-year-old girl from New Plymouth are currently responding well to treatment at Taranaki Base Hospital, a Taranaki District Health Board spokeswoman said.

Meningococcal disease is a bacterial infection that causes meningitis, an infection of the membranes that cover the brain, or septicaemia (blood poisoning).

Both Taranaki children have developed septicaemia...

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Source: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/hea...ed-in-taranaki

Four cases of meningococcal, including a death, recorded in Taranaki
LEIGHTON KEITH
Last updated 15:13, August 16 2018

Despite having more cases of meningococcal this year, including a death, than in the previous five years Taranaki is not facing an outbreak, the region's medical officer of health says.

In March a teenager, who attended New Plymouth Boys' High School, died just days after it was discovered he had the deadly disease. Since then the Taranaki District Health Board (TDHB) has treated another three patients, an 11-year-old boy from the Stratford area along with a five-year-old girl from New Plymouth and her two-year-old sister last week.

TDHB medical officer of health Jonathan Jarman said further deaths couldn't be ruled out...