NZ: 2011 Meningitis cases

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/health/news/article.cfm?c_id=204&objectid=10742829

Fears of deadly outbreak unfounded
By Jarrod Booker
5:30 AM Thursday Aug 4, 2011

When Bill Perry spoke to a colleague by telephone on Friday night he described being under the weather - without giving cause for alarm.

Mr Perry, 48, a father of three and respected New Zealand chief executive of contracting company Fulton Hogan, had begun feeling unwell that morning and had taken the day off work to recover, said Fulton Hogan Group managing director Nick Miller.

"At that point the indication was that he was suffering from a reasonably serious case of the flu," Mr Miller told the Herald...

...What followed was the appearance of the disease in another of Mr Perry's colleagues aged in his 40s, a woman in her 40s in Christchurch, and a baby in Dunedin - raising fears of a deadly outbreak...

 

[Sally Furniss]

Re: NZ: Fears of deadly (Meningitis) outbreak unfounded

Re: NZ: Fears of deadly (Meningitis) outbreak unfounded

A baby hospitalised in Dunedin had been believed to have the same strain, however instead has the unusual W135 strain.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/health/news/article.cfm?c_id=204&objectid=10742602

 

[Shiloh]

Re: NZ: Fears of deadly (Meningitis) outbreak unfounded

Re: NZ: Fears of deadly (Meningitis) outbreak unfounded

Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-newspaper...5410054/Child-dies-from-meningococcal-disease

Child dies from meningococcal disease
MICHELLE COOKE
Last updated 17:54 08/08/2011

A young child has died from meningococcal disease, a week after Fulton Hogan chief executive Bill Perry also died from the aggressive bug.

The child was visiting Rotorua when their mother rushed them to Rotorua Hospital's emergency department on Saturday afternoon.

"The child was unwell enough for the mother to take them to the emergency department but then soon after they developed a rash which is typical of meningococcal disease," Medical Officer of Health Dr Neil de Wet said.

Officials declined to give the age of the child, citing privacy issues.

The child, who was visiting from the Manawatu area, died only hours after being admitted.

"Everyone did everything right, however, this disease can make a person sick very rapidly and cause death, which unfortunately happened in this case," de Wet said.

He said they wouldn't know what type of strain of the disease the child had until tests came back on Wednesday.

More than 40 people had contracted the disease so far this year and at least four people, including Perry, had died from it...

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: NZ: Fears of deadly (Meningitis) outbreak unfounded

Re: NZ: Fears of deadly (Meningitis) outbreak unfounded

Meningitis hits one-year-old

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Last updated 15:58 09/08/2011

A one-year-old child has been admitted to hospital with a meningococcal infection.

The child was admitted to Whangarei Hospital on Monday night with suspected meningococcal disease and later transferred to Starship Hospital by helicopter, and is in a critical condition.

This is the first Northland case this year and it appears to be an isolated case with no links to other cases.

Dr Clair Mills, Northland DHB medical officer of health, says the laboratory has confirmed meningococcal infection.

More...
http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/loc...i-leader/5415974/Meningitis-hits-one-year-old

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: NZ: Fears of deadly (Meningitis) outbreak unfounded

Re: NZ: Fears of deadly (Meningitis) outbreak unfounded

Meningococcal disease strikes second baby

12:54 PM Friday Aug 12, 2011

...The boy is in a stable condition in Whangarei Hospital.

"The child was admitted on Wednesday afternoon and ... basically it was an evolving meningitis and it was first picked up [as the disease] on Thursday morning," Dr Mills said.

Another Northland boy is Auckland's Starship Hospital in a critical condition after being airlifted from Whangarei Hospital yesterday morning.

Dr Mills said they were still waiting for test results to determine what strains the children had contracted.

Full text:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10744644

 

[Shiloh]

Re: NZ: 2011 Meningitis cases

Source: http://www.northernadvocate.co.nz/news/young-pair-hit-by-type-c-strain2/1073581/

Young pair hit by type C strain
Mike Dinsdale | Friday, August 19, 2011 12:00


Type C meningococcal has been identified as the strain of the disease that put two Northland children in hospital.

Northland medical officer of health Clair Mills said laboratory tests had confirmed type C meningococcal as the strain, but there were no links between the two cases, which were believed to be random infections at this stage.

One of the two is in a serious but stable condition in Auckland's Starship Hospital, while the other has been released from Whangarei Hospital...

 

[Shiloh]

Re: NZ: 2011 Meningitis cases

Source: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/health/news/article.cfm?c_id=204&objectid=10747462

Fourth meningococcal case in Northland this month
By Michael Dickison
5:30 AM Friday Aug 26, 2011

An 18-year-old man has been admitted to hospital with meningococcal disease in Whangarei - the region's fourth case this month.

In one of the other cases, a 1-year-old boy died in hospital.

The Northland District Health Board yesterday activated its incident management team in case the disease spread further - though the number of cases is in line with a typical year.

The region has had six cases this year.

The 18-year-old man was admitted to Whangarei Hospital's intensive care unit on Wednesday night...

 

[Sally Furniss]

Re: NZ: 2011 Meningitis cases

Meningitis kills two in one North Island family

Josie Howe of Tuakau, 56km south of Auckland, died on August 19, four days after visiting her great-grandson Jacob John Whyte,aged 1, from Northland, who was in Starship Hospital with suspected meningococcal disease, the Herald on Sunday reported..

Ms Howe contracted the disease two days after visiting Jacob, which was outside the normal 24-hour period in which the disease was contracted, Dr Mills said.

So far in Northland there have been six cases of the disease this year, with four in the past month

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/5519766/Meningitis-kills-two-in-one-North-Island-family

 

[Shiloh]

Re: NZ: 2011 Meningitis cases

Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/5585617/Meningococcal-spate-hits-Northland

Meningococcal spate hits Northland
Last updated 07:15 08/09/2011

A spate of meningococcal cases in Northland has health authorities on the verge of declaring an outbreak, as an eighth person is admitted to hospital with symptoms of the disease.

Seven people have contracted meningococcal disease in the region, with two deaths during the past two months.

Northland Medical Officer of Health Claire Mills said there was no clear link among any of the recent cases.

A 14-month old from the Far North admitted to Whangarei hospital last weekend was the latest confirmed case.

The child was now in a stable condition.

However a 15-year-old boy, also from the Far North, was admitted to intensive care on Wednesday with symptoms of meningococcal disease, and may prove to be the eighth case.

At this stage, staff did not know what type of meningococcal disease the most recent cases were, she said...

 

[Shiloh]

Re: NZ: 2011 Meningitis cases

Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/loc...609296/Tot-eighth-case-of-possible-meningitis

Tot eighth case of possible meningitis
Last updated 10:26 13/09/2011

A spate of meningococcal cases has Northland health authorities on the verge of declaring an outbreak, as an eighth person is admitted to hospital with symptoms.

Seven people have contracted meningococcal disease in Northland this winter, with two deaths in August.

Northland medical officer of health Dr Clair Mills says the number of cases and deaths is very concerning.

A 14-month-old from the Far North admitted to Whangarei Hospital last week is the latest confirmed case. On Friday the toddler was in a comfortable condition.

However a 15-year-old boy, also from the Far North, was admitted to intensive care last Wednesday with symptoms of meningococcal disease and may be the eighth case.

Dr Mills says there is no clear link between the recent cases and it is not yet known what type of meningococcal disease the recent cases are.

Five out of the first six cases were type C ? a strain which has been rare in Northland during the past 10 years.

Dr Mills says Northland District Health Board is working hard to prevent more cases, working closely with the Ministry of Health and seeking expert advice...

 

[Emily]

Re: NZ: 2011 Meningitis cases

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10748094

Killer bug claims fifth victim
By Michael Dickison
5:30 AM Monday Aug 29, 2011
A killer disease has claimed another life - an 18-year-old Northland man who became critically sick in just 24 hours.

Ben Brown died on Saturday, three days after being admitted to the intensive care unit at Whangarei Hospital suffering from meningococcal disease. ...

Sent home twice before diagnosis:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10748301


http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10748430

Woman may lose fingers to deadly disease
6:44 PM Tuesday Aug 30, 2011

A 45-year-old woman may lose her fingers after falling victim to meningococcal disease, which has claimed at least two lives in Northland recently.

A Far North woman may lose some fingers but is expected to recover from a bout of the deadly meningococcal disease....

 

[Shiloh]

Re: NZ: 2011 Meningitis cases

Source: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10752429

Mass vaccination plan to stop meningococcal outbreak
By Mike Dinsdale of the Northern Advocate
12:01 PM Saturday Sep 17, 2011

Health officials hope a mass vaccination programme aimed at 44,000 people aged between 1 and 20 will prevent the spread of the deadly meningococcal C disease in Northland after two deaths in the past month.

Two Northlanders have died from meningococcal C disease - 1-year-old Jacob Whyte from Ruakaka and Ben Brown, from Whangarei - and four other people have been confirmed as having type C while two others had type B meningococcal.

Northland medical officer of health Clair Mills said the situation was now a community outbreak and the concern over the spread of the disease, and random nature - there are no known links between any of the cases - had prompted the mass vaccination campaign.

Dr Mills said the programme would target the highest risk group of those aged between 1 and 20, with the most at risk - high school children - the first to receive the free meningococcal C vaccination.

Those out-of-school-aged under 20 will be able to get the vaccine from their GP, or attend special clinics in their area, as soon as vaccine becomes available...

 

[Shiloh]

Re: NZ: 2011 Meningitis cases

Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/5667999/Wellington-teen-dies-of-meningococcal-disease

Wellington teen dies of meningococcal disease
Last updated 13:43 22/09/2011


LATEST: Wellington health officials are warning members of the public and doctors to keep a close eye out for meningococcal disease symptoms after a teenger died this week.

Regional Public Health said there had been four other cases of the virus in the Wellington region so far in September.

The details of the young person, who died on Monday, have not been released.

The five September cases, which affected three pre-schoolers and two teenagers, are in addition to five cases earlier this year.

Regional public health medical officer of health Annette Nesdale said the four non-fatal cases were still severe.

"They were all very ill and in hospital..."

 

[Shiloh]

Re: NZ: 2011 Meningitis cases

Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/5693477/Teen-died-of-Meningococcal-C-strain-tests-show

Teen died of Meningococcal C strain, tests show
KATE NEWTON
Last updated 17:44 27/09/2011

Test results have confirmed a Wellington teenager who died last week had meningococcal C - the same strain responsible for an outbreak in Northland.

Regional Public Health this afternoon confirmed Joshua Thomas Hinaki, 19, who died in his bed last week, had meningococcal C.

So far this year, three people in the Wellington region have contracted the C strain - and another six have meningococcal B...

 

[Shiloh]

Re: NZ: 2011 Meningitis cases

Source: http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/regional/87888/another-case-of-meningococcal-disease-in-northland

Updated at 6:40 pm on 10 October 2011
in Northland.

Another case of meningococcal disease has been confirmed
in Northland.

Health officials say a five-year-old child was admitted to Whangarei Hospital last Friday and is now in a stable condition on a ward. They say it is fortunate that the child's parents sought help immediately.

Ten people have been affected by meningococcal disease in Northland since July this year and three have died.

Health nurses have vaccinated 4000 students in high schools during the past two weeks.

From Monday, the free vaccine is available from GPs and community clinics...

 

[Shiloh]

Re: NZ: 2011 Meningitis cases

Source: http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/regional/88214/meningitis-cases-in-northland-continue-to-climb

Meningitis cases in Northland continue to climb
Updated at 6:23 pm on 13 October 2011

The tally of meningitis cases in the north of New Zealand is on the rise again.

Northland Health says a 16-month-old Whangarei baby was admitted to hospital on Wednesday night with suspected meningococcal disease.

A two-year-old from Kaipara admitted last Sunday is now a confirmed case.

If the Whangarei case is confirmed, the number of people who have caught the disease since July will stand at 12 and the death toll at three...

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Source: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/health/news/article.cfm?c_id=204&objectid=10759107

Two more meningococcal cases in Northland
By Mike Dinsdale of the Northern Advocate
5:43 PM Friday Oct 14, 2011

A 16-month-old child is suspected of having the 12th case of the potentially deadly meningococcal disease that has killed three people in Northland since July.

The toddler's admission to Whangarei Hospital on Wednesday night follows that of a 2-year-old Kaipara girl who was admitted to the hospital on October 9 and has been confirmed as having meningococcal disease....

 

[Shiloh]

Re: NZ: 2011 Meningitis cases

Source: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/health/news/article.cfm?c_id=204&objectid=10759797

New meningococcal case confirmed in Wellington
By David Dunn for APNZ
7:37 PM Monday Oct 17, 2011

A woman in her 20s has been confirmed as the latest case of meningococcal disease in the Wellington region.

The woman was admitted to Wellington hospital on Friday night and tests confirmed today that she had meningococcal disease.

She was released today.

Regional Public Health Medical Officer of Health Annette Nesdale said it was not yet known what strain of the disease the woman had, and determining that could take up to a week.

The case brings the total number of meningococcal cases in the capital to 12, including two deaths.

Meanwhile, another two suspected cases of measles have been reported...

 

[Shiloh]

Re: NZ: 2011 Meningitis cases

Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/loc...e-districts/5807554/Young-girl-has-meningitis

Young girl has meningitis
Last updated 05:00 19/10/2011

Medical officials have confirmed a two-year-old Kaipara girl has meningococcal disease.

Northland District Health Board medical officer of health Jonathan Jarman says it brings the number of confirmed cases this year to 11.

He could not say for privacy reasons where the girl came from in Kaipara...

 

[Shiloh]

Re: NZ: 2011 Meningitis cases

Source: http://www.voxy.co.nz/health/girl-12-contracts-meningococcal/5/104958

Girl, 12, contracts meningococcal
Home ? Health
Contributor:
Voxy News Engine Voxy News Engine
Thursday, 20 October, 2011 - 15:08

A 12-year-old girl, diagnosed with probable meningococcal infection, was transferred to Starship Hospital yesterday.

Dr Jonathan Jarman, Northland DHB medical officer of health said this is the thirteenth case of meningococcal disease in Northland since July.

"This is the fourth meningococcal case diagnosed this month. To date we have had two cases of meningococcal B, eight cases of meningococcal C, and are waiting serotyping on the most recent three cases. Of the eight meningococcal C cases, three people have lost their lives...'

 

[Shiloh]

Re: NZ: 2011 Meningitis cases

Source: http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/2011/10/27/meningitis-outbreak-under-control

Meningitis outbreak under control
Sapa | 27 October, 2011 12:25

The meningococcal meningitis outbreak that killed a baby at a Centurion cr?che was under control, the City of Tshwane said on Thursday.


"No new deaths have been reported (since the beginning of October). We wish to confirm that only one child's death was a confirmed case of meningitis," spokeswoman Dikeledi Phiri said in a statement.

Two of the three children who died attended the same cr?che in Olievenhoutbosh and the autopsy report confirmed that only one died as a result of the infection.

"However, seven children from the same cr?che tested positive for the infection and were admitted to hospital."

They were treated and had since been discharged, Phiri said...