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NZ: 2018/2019 Meningococcal disease

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  • NZ: 2018/2019 Meningococcal disease

    Source: https://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-pos...rry-about?rm=m

    Two new jabs possible in light of new type of meningococcal to worry about
    Tom Hunt14:55, Nov 06 2018
    Health Ministry worried about rising number of meningococcal cases

    ... According to Ministry figures, meningococcal disease numbers peaked at 112 in 2017 and had already reached 96 cases so far in 2018.

    There were 12 cases of the W strain - including three deaths - during all of 2017 and already in 2018 there had been 24 cases including six deaths.

    "Typically, there are zero to six cases per year of MenW," she said.

    "This MenW strain is associated with high mortality rates and affects all age groups.

    "Northland has been the worst affected, with seven cases so far this year, including three deaths."

    The Northland spike had only arisen in the past couple of months, she said...

  • #2
    Source: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/a...ectid=12162788

    Six meningitis cases in Auckland since October 20
    19 Nov, 2018 7:06pm
    By: Simon Collins
    Education reporter, NZ Herald

    Six more cases of meningococcal disease have been reported in Auckland in the past month, affecting patients aged from under 1 to over 80.

    Auckland Medical Officer of Health Dr Shanika Perera said two of the six patients had the new "W" strain of meningitis which killed 7-year-old Hikurangi schoolgirl Alexis Albert four months ago and 16-year-old Kerikeri High School student Dion Hodder on October 20.

    Dion Hodder was flown to Auckland City Hospital after becoming ill at a St John camp on Motutapu Island.

    Another boy who was at a camp on the island last week was tested for meningococcal disease at Middlemore Hospital over the weekend after collapsing when he got home on Friday. But tests found he did not have the disease, and Perera said none of the six Auckland cases were related to camps on Motutapu Island or anywhere else...

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    • #3
      Source: https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/a...ectid=12176395


      A new case of meningococcal disease has been reported at a west Auckland primary school.

      A notice was sent out to the Green Bay School community yesterday alerting parents to the fact "a child who attends the school had been diagnosed with illness that was caused by meningococcal bacteria"...

      ... A medical officer of health at the DHB, Dr Rob Weir, said it would be some time before it was known whether the case had the W strain of meningococcal disease.

      So-called Men W is causing an outbreak in Northland, where the Government is paying for teenagers and children aged 9 months to under 5 years to be vaccinated against the disease.

      Sixteen-year-old Dion Hodder, of Kerikeri, died at Auckland City Hospital in October after falling ill with meningococcal disease at a St John youth camp on Motutapu Island.

      Another Northland youngster, Alexis Albert, 7, died of the disease in Starship children's hospital, after becoming sick in July.

      The Ministry of Health said, when the Northland vaccination programme began last week, that there had been 109 cases of meningococcal disease in New Zealand this year, to the end of last month. Twenty-nine cases had been W-strain, including seven in Northland...

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      • #4
        Source: https://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-sta...as-menw-strain


        Palmerston North Meningococcal case confirmed as MenW strain
        Alex Loo17:33, Dec 14 2018

        A patient at Palmerston North Hospital with meningococcal disease, has the same strain that triggered an immunisation programme in Northland.

        The patient, who has the MenW strain, has since been transferred to Starship Children's Hospital.

        Medical officer of health Dr Rob Weir said MidCentral DHB was following up with people who may have been in contact with the patient. Those who have been in close contact are being offered vaccinations...

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        • #5
          Source: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/hea...-bay-of-plenty

          Boy, 5, among three meningococcal cases in Bay of Plenty
          Brittany Keogh17:06, Jan 04 2019

          A 5-year-old boy who recently moved from Northland to Tauranga is one of three people in the Bay of Plenty to have contracted meningococcal disease over the holiday period.

          The youngster was flown to Starship Hospital in Auckland on New Year's Eve.

          An Auckland DHB spokeswoman said on Friday afternoon the boy was in a stable condition...

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          • #6
            Source: http://www.voxy.co.nz/health/5/330008

            Continued vigilance required for meningococcal disease
            Home ? Health
            Contributor: Fuseworks Media Fuseworks Media
            Tuesday, 15 January, 2019 - 01:49

            GPs and emergency departments nationwide remain on high alert for people seeking medical help with possible symptoms of meningococcal disease.

            In 2018, there were 120 reported meningococcal cases including 10 deaths. A similar number of cases and deaths were reported in 2017. In 2018 there were 33 cases of the meningococcal W (Men W) strain including six deaths compared to 12 cases of Men W including 3 deaths in 2017.

            In Northland, a targeted vaccination programme is underway after a local outbreak of Men W late last year. The Ministry of Health and Northland DHB continue to work closely together to ensure the best response to this outbreak.

            The Ministry also continues to work with other district health boards and closely monitor meningococcal disease cases nationwide, including for strains A,B,C,W and Y. ESR publishes regular reports on meningococcal disease cases.

            So far in 2019 (as at 8 January), there have been three cases of confirmed meningococcal disease with a further two under investigation. The confirmed cases were due to the B and C strains...

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            • #7
              Source: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/hea...disease-season

              Four meningococcal cases in Northland at start of 'disease season'
              Denise Piper13:11, Jul 12 2019

              Northlanders have been warned to be aware of meningococcal disease symptoms as the "month of death" approaches.

              The disease - a bacterial infection that can cause severe illness through meningitis (an infection of membranes that cover the brain) or septicaemia (blood poisoning) - is most prevalent during winter and last October two Northland children died of the disease.

              An outbreak of the meningococcal group W bacteria was declared in Northland last year, after four deaths from the virulent strain, including 7-year-old Alexis Albert.

              There have since been four more cases of meningococcal disease in the region.

              A 7-month-old and a 60-year-old were found to have the group W strain, while a second 7-month-old had an ungroupable strain, said medical officer of health Dr Catherine Jackson.

              Results from a 4-month-old, diagnosed from meningococcal disease earlier this month, were not yet available.

              All four patients were treated in hospital and, while the 60-year-old remained in Whangārei Hospital in a stable condition, the infants were recovering at home.

              But if the 4-month-old was found to have the group W strain, Northland would again meet the criteria for an outbreak, according to Whangārei MP Shane Reti, who is also a GP...

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              • #8
                Source: https://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-sta...north-hospital

                Two meningococcal cases in two weeks at Palmerston North Hospital
                16:50, Aug 07 2019

                Two people within two weeks have been admitted to Palmerston North Hospital with meningococcal disease.

                Medical officer of health Robert Weir said the health board's public health team was following up with anyone who might have been in contact with the patient and they were being offered preventive antibiotics.

                The second person was admitted this week.

                There is no evidence the two cases are linked, the MidCentral District Health Board says...

                Comment


                • #9
                  Source: https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/one-death-meningitis


                  Friday, 1 November 2019
                  One death from meningitis

                  One person in the South has died from meningitis.

                  Southern District Health Board medical officer of health Dr Anura Jayasinghe said there were three confirmed cases of the disease, including one death, due to meningitis this month.

                  There was not considered to be any link between the cases...

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Source: https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE19...ease-cases.htm

                    Significant Rise in Meningococcal Disease Cases
                    Tuesday, 19 November 2019, 8:37 am
                    Press Release: Institute of Environmental Science And Research
                    19 November 2019
                    Significant Rise in Meningococcal Disease Cases Among Infants Prompts Health Warning

                    Parents of infants, early childhood educators and doctors need to be more vigilant in identifying the early stages of meningococcal disease according to health experts.

                    The call comes as a new Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR) report shows there have already been 126 cases of invasive meningococcal disease confirmed so far this year, an approximate 33% increase for the same period last year.

                    Data also shows that infants aged under one now make up more than a fifth (21%) of all cases of the disease - up from 14% compared to the same time last year...

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