A child in Western Australia is in hospital with serogroup B meningococcal disease, the second case involving the same strain reported in the state within weeks.
WA Health said the latest diagnosis was reported on Friday. Another child contracted serogroup B earlier in September.
Meningococcal disease is an uncommon but potentially life-threatening bacterial infection affecting the blood and the membranes around the spinal cord and brain. It can also affect areas including the throat, lungs and large joints.
Symptoms of meningococcal disease
Symptoms can include fever, chills, headache, neck stiffness, nausea, vomiting, drowsiness, confusion and severe muscle or joint pain.
WA Health said a spotty red-purple rash could also appear, although this did not happen in every case. The rash may resemble small bleeding points beneath the skin or bruises.
“Meningococcal disease is an uncommon, life-threatening illness caused by a bacterial infection of the blood and membranes that line the spinal cord and brain, and occasionally of other sites, such as the throat, lungs or large joints,” WA Health said.
The bacteria are spread through respiratory droplets from the nose and throat when an infected person coughs or sneezes. They are not spread by saliva.
With treatment, most people recover, but the disease can be fatal in 5 to 10 per cent of cases. Around 15 per cent of those affected may develop long-term complications, including hearing loss, limb amputations or brain damage.
Six cases have been reported in WA during 2026. Five were serogroup B infections, while one adult died from serogroup Y disease in July.
WA recorded 13 meningococcal cases in 2025, including 12 serogroup B cases and one serogroup Y case.
Vaccines are available to protect against meningococcal serogroups A, B, C, W and Y.
