A young child has been diagnosed with a deadly form of meningococcal disease.
The child is ‘recovering in hospital’ according to Western Australian Health, who would not identify the hospital or child.
Parents have been warned to vaccinate their children given it is free for children at 12 months.
A young child is recovering in hospital after being struck down by meningococcal disease
A catch-up program is also available for children aged up to four years through GPs and other childhood immunisation providers.
This is the fourth case of the disease in children under five and the fifth such diagnosis in the state this year.
The disease is now on the rise again due to the new virulent strains of serogroup W and serogroup Y emerging.
Parents are being encouraged to vaccinate their children against the deadly disease
Symptoms include high fever, chills, headache, neck stiffness, nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, confusion and severe muscle and joint pains.
WA Health warned in a statement the infection can ‘progress very rapidly’.
‘It is important that anyone experiencing these symptoms seeks medical attention promptly,’ the statement said.
‘Most people with the disease recover, although around 5 to 10 per cent will die and around 15 per cent may experience complications such as hearing loss, or gangrene requiring skin grafts or amputations.’
Symptoms of the disease can include a nasty red-purple rash or bruises
Federal Member of Parliament Andrew Laming took to Facebook on Monday to state all meningoccocal disease is now preventable.
‘My job 16 years ago was to approve the first meningococcal strain vaccine in Australia,’ he said on February 5.
‘Today we approved a four-strain version, meaning all meningococcal disease is now vaccine preventable, from 12 months of age.’