A teenager has become the 10th West Australian diagnosed with meningococcal disease this year.
The WA Health Department said today that the patient was recovering and had now been discharged from hospital.
Meningococcal disease is an uncommon, life-threatening illness due to a bacterial infection of the blood or the membranes that line the spinal cord and brain.
The department has identified the teenager’s close contacts and provided them with information and access to antibiotics to reduce the chances of the organism being passed on to others.
The incidence of meningococcal disease has decreased significantly in WA over the past decade, with around 20 to 25 cases reported each year – down from a peak of 86 cases in 2000.
There were 16 cases notified last year, the lowest number recorded in more than 20 years.