Health authorities issue alert after "invasive" disease fatality
Health authorities in South Australia have issued an alert after a young man died from an "invasive" disease last week.
SA Health was notified that a case of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) was identified in a 29-year-old Adelaide man, after his death.
The man's strain was identified as serotype W - one of the most common strains in Australia.
Close contacts of the man have been identified and contacted.
Five people have been directed to receive clearance antibiotics.
The meningococcal case is the first invasive case to be reported in South Australia this year.
In 2020, a total of five cases were reported.
Meningococcal disease can affect all age groups but more common in young people, including children under the age of five and young adults aged 15 to 24.
Symptoms of meningococcal can vary depending on the person's age.
In young children, symptoms include over, red or purple spots, abnormal skin colour, leg pain, cold hands or feet, fretfulness, and a high-pitched or moaning cry.
In older children and adults, symptoms include headache, fever, vomiting, neck stiffness, photophobia, red or purple spots and joint pains.
The serious disease can also lead to meningitis, septicaemia, joint infection, eye infection and pneumonia.