WA’s first meningococcal case for 2025 reported

An adult was recovering in hospital this week after contracting meningococcal — WA’s first recorded case of the bacterial infection of 2025.

WA Health revealed that the person contracted the B strain of the disease which comes after there were 13 meningococcal cases, including one death, in 2024.

Meningococcal is an uncommon, life-threatening illness that is caused by a bacterial infection of the blood or membranes lining the spinal cord and brain.

It is not easily spread from person to person and the meningococcal bacteria lives harmlessly in the back of the nose or throat in up to 20 per cent of the population.

Very rarely, the bacteria invade the bloodstream or tissues and cause serious infections.

There are two vaccines available to try and protect against meningococcal disease; the MenACWY vaccine covers the serogroups A, C, W and Y and is available free to children at 12 months old, and all year 10 students.

The Meningococcal serogroup B vaccine is free for all Aboriginal children up to two years old to try and combat the higher rate of meningococcal disease in Indigenous children.

The availability of the MenB vaccine has become an issue in the upcoming State election, with the Liberal party promising to provide it for free if it wins.

But in December Premier Roger Cook would not commit to funding the vaccine for people, saying he had lobbied the Federal Government to add it to the National Immunisation Program, which funds the MenACWY vaccine.

A WA Labor spokesperson confirmed today that its position on the issue had not changed.

“We continue to advocate to the Federal Government for the meningococcal B vaccine to be added to the NIP. This disease affects all states and territories and deserves a national approach,” a statement said.

WA Health said symptoms of invasive meningococcal disease may include high fever, chills, headache, neck stiffness, nausea and vomiting, drowsiness, confusion, and severe muscle and joint pains.

Young children may not complain of symptoms, so fever, pale or blotchy complexion, vomiting, lethargy (inactivity), poor feeding and rash are important signs.

Meningococcal infection is treatable with antibiotics, but it can progress very rapidly, so anyone with these symptoms must seek medical attention urgently.

With appropriate treatment, most people with the disease recover, although around 5 to 10 per cent will die and, around 15 per cent may experience long-term complications such as hearing loss, limb amputations or brain damage.