Ronan Kelly
Retired 2020
Child killer rears ugly head in North
Mike Dinsdale | 6th June 2010
Health officials are urging Northland parents to get their children to a doctor if they show signs of illness with five cases of potentially deadly meningococcal disease reported in the region, including two this month.
Northland Medical Officer of Health Jonathan Jarman said there had been between five and nine cases of meningococcal disease in Northland since the meningococcal epidemic ended in 2004.
But two cases so far this month, following three earlier in the year, was a worry.
The first case this month involved a 1-month-old boy while the second was a 13-month-old boy and Dr Jarman said children were most at risk from the potentially fatal disease.
The meningococcal B epidemic hit New Zealand in 1991. By 1992, 12 Northlanders had caught the deadly disease, and one died. At the epidemic's peak in 1997, 43 Northlanders were infected with two dying.
Dr Jarman reiterates the health message that early intervention saves lives, even with the meningococcal B vaccine which was introduced to end the epidemic.
"If children are sick, take them to the doctor," he said.
"The numbers of cases are much lower than we were seeing during the epidemic, but the warnings need to go out."
Meningococcal disease has two main forms. Meningococcal meningitis is an infection of the brain and kills up to 5 per cent of sufferers.
Meningococcal septicaemia infects the blood and is fatal in up to 15 per cent of cases.
Prompt treatment with antibiotics could prevent death or permanent disabilities such as deafness or brain damage.
Meningococcal can appear to be the flu in early stages but it quickly becomes worse. The worst time of the year for the disease is May to September.
None of this year's cases have been fatal but Dr Jarman says that could be down to the fact that parents are more aware of the risks of meningococcal disease.
The latest sufferers were treated at Whangarei Hospital.
http://www.northernadvocate.co.nz/local/news/child-killer-rears-ugly-head-in-north/3915331/
Mike Dinsdale | 6th June 2010
Health officials are urging Northland parents to get their children to a doctor if they show signs of illness with five cases of potentially deadly meningococcal disease reported in the region, including two this month.
Northland Medical Officer of Health Jonathan Jarman said there had been between five and nine cases of meningococcal disease in Northland since the meningococcal epidemic ended in 2004.
But two cases so far this month, following three earlier in the year, was a worry.
The first case this month involved a 1-month-old boy while the second was a 13-month-old boy and Dr Jarman said children were most at risk from the potentially fatal disease.
The meningococcal B epidemic hit New Zealand in 1991. By 1992, 12 Northlanders had caught the deadly disease, and one died. At the epidemic's peak in 1997, 43 Northlanders were infected with two dying.
Dr Jarman reiterates the health message that early intervention saves lives, even with the meningococcal B vaccine which was introduced to end the epidemic.
"If children are sick, take them to the doctor," he said.
"The numbers of cases are much lower than we were seeing during the epidemic, but the warnings need to go out."
Meningococcal disease has two main forms. Meningococcal meningitis is an infection of the brain and kills up to 5 per cent of sufferers.
Meningococcal septicaemia infects the blood and is fatal in up to 15 per cent of cases.
Prompt treatment with antibiotics could prevent death or permanent disabilities such as deafness or brain damage.
Meningococcal can appear to be the flu in early stages but it quickly becomes worse. The worst time of the year for the disease is May to September.
None of this year's cases have been fatal but Dr Jarman says that could be down to the fact that parents are more aware of the risks of meningococcal disease.
The latest sufferers were treated at Whangarei Hospital.
http://www.northernadvocate.co.nz/local/news/child-killer-rears-ugly-head-in-north/3915331/