Meningitis cases revealed

‘‘The bug is spread through close contact, such as living in the same household, and kissing.’’ Dr Rob Weir, medical officer of health

Health authorities are warning people in Manawatu to take precautions to avoid getting meningitis.

Two people in the Midcentral District Health Board area have been diagnosed with meningococcal disease in the past week.

Medical officer of health Dr Rob Weir said there was no apparent connection between the cases. The disease can be fatal and is difficult to diagnose because it can appear similar to the flu. It is most common in winter and spring, and the DHB typically had two or three cases a year, he said.

‘‘The bug is spread through close contact, such as living in the same household, and kissing.

‘‘The close contacts of the cases have been provided antibiotics as a precaution.

‘‘This is standard management to minimise the risk of spread in the community.’’

Meningococcal disease is caused when bacteria living in the nose or throat enter the bloodstream.

This can cause meningitis or blood poisoning. Symptoms include fever, headaches, dislike of light, confusion, sleepiness and vomiting.

‘‘Anyone with these symptoms should seek urgent medical attention, as early treatment is important,’’ Weir said.

In 2015, 19-year-old Palmerston North mechanic Jarrod Lindsay died after a brief battle with meningococcal disease. Throughout the country there were 64 cases in 2015, including three other deaths, the latest Notifiable Diseases Annual Report showed. The highest numbers were among babies less than one year old, and in Auckland and Wellington.

An epidemic of the disease broke out in New Zealand in the late 1990s due to a particularly dangerous strain of the bacteria.