Rare case of deadly disease in Far North

HEALTH officials have confirmed a child has fallen sick with a potentially deadly vaccine-preventable disease that is uncommon in the Far North.

The infant was admitted to Cairns Hospital on May 14, after they were infected with haemophilus influenzae type B disease (Hib).

A Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service spokeswoman said the patient was recently discharged from the hospital.

There has only been one case of the disease, which is treatable with antibiotics, in the Far North in the past five years.

Hib is a bacterium found in the throat of healthy people.

Despite its name, it is not related to influenza aka the flu.

It invades the body from the throat or nose, and can cause serious illness and death, especially in children under five.

The CHHHS spokeswoman said immunisation according to the childhood vaccination schedule was the best defence against Hib.

Incidences of the disease can still occur in under-vaccinated people, she said.

Symptoms depend on which part of the body is affected, but can include: meningitis – fever, headache, stiff neck, nausea, vomiting and drowsiness; epiglottitis – difficulty breathing and swallowing, fever; pneumonia – shortness of breath, loss of appetite, headache, chest pain and cough; osteomyelitis – swelling and pain over the affected bone; and cellulitis – area is red, hot, swollen and tender.