DHB knew of disease as early as May

Northland DHB was aware of a ‘‘very scary strain’’ of meningitis six months before it warned the public, an internal memo shows.

Yesterday, the district health board put out a media release warning the public to be vigilant about a ‘‘significant increase’’ of group W meningococcal disease in the region.

But in May, clinical microbiologist David Hammer had circulated a letter to DHB staff warning of potential cases.

In the memo, Hammer said ‘‘we have not previously had group W strains in Northland but we have had two unrelated cases within one week this year. Sequence typing is awaited but I anticipate the result will be ST-11’’.

The memo said there had been a ‘‘significant rise’’ in meningococcus W ST-11 cases across New Zealand. ‘‘As meningococcal disease peaks in the winter, I suspect that we will be seeing a whole lot more cases soon.’’

Already this year, 24 cases have been confirmed and six patients have died. Three of those were in Northland.

Hammer’s memo noted that doctor-patient contact carried a very low risk of infection, but said the disease tended to ‘‘spread rapidly through areas where younger people congregate, such as schools, hostels, army barracks and university campuses’’.

He went on to encourage his colleagues to have any children older than 9 months vaccinated with one of the newer meningococcal vaccines, ‘‘to reduce their chances of acquiring an infection from this very scary strain’’.

On October 20, Northland teenager Dion Hodder was at a St John youth training camp on Motutapu Island when he fell ill with meningococcal disease.

The 16-year-old was airlifted to Auckland City Hospital, where he received urgent medical treatment but died about midnight.

His mother Todd Horton and stepfather Lance Horton said Dion had died from the W strain.

They had not been told of the memo nor the rise in cases.

Dion’s mother said: ‘‘I would hate to think of other parents going through what we’re going through right now.’’

‘‘I suspect that we will be seeing a whole lot more cases soon.’’

David Hammer