A young child has died from meningococcal disease in Western Australia and a teenager, who also contracted the disease, is recovering in hospital.
The Department of Health would not identify the age or sex of the child but said they died at the weekend.
The department said there was no association between the two children.
The department said it had identified close contacts of both the child and the teen, and provided them with information and where necessary antibiotics to minimise the possibility others might be infected.
Eighteen cases of meningococcal disease have been reported in the state so far this year.
The department said the number of cases decreased significantly in WA over the past decade, with about 20 cases reported each year – down from a peak of 86 cases in 2000.
There were 16 cases notified in 2013, the lowest number recorded in more than 20 years.
A vaccine to protect against the C type of meningococcal disease, which in the past was responsible for around 15 per cent of cases in WA, is provided free to children at 12 months of age.
A vaccine against serogroup B meningococcal infection, the most common type, recently became available on prescription.
The department said invasive meningococcal infection was most common in babies and young children, older teenagers and young adults, but infection could occur at any age.
Symptoms may include high fever, chills, headache, neck stiffness, nausea and vomiting, drowsiness, confusion, and severe muscle and joint pains.
It also said sometimes symptoms may be accompanied by the appearance of a spotty red-purple rash that looks like small bleeding points beneath the skin or bruises.
The department said the infection can progress very rapidly, so it was important that anyone experiencing these symptoms seeks medical attention promptly.