Disir
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- Sep 30, 2011
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A YOUNG Perth woman has died from meningococcal disease as doctors warn that the number of cases has almost doubled in the past year.
The woman, in her 20s, became the fifth WA victim of the W strain of the disease — which until recently was relatively rare — when she died last week.
Her colleagues at a government department were informed of her death and told by email to seek medical attention if they had been in contact with her just before she died.
The Health Department said yesterday there had been 40 cases of the various strains of the disease this year, compared with three deaths from 23 cases last year.
The department said 18 of the 40 meningococcal cases this year had been people with the W strain, well above the long-term average of one case a year.
Of the remaining 22 cases, 12 were B strain, eight were Y strain, one was C strain and one was unknown.
Meningococcal disease’s W strain claims fifth victim
All of the vaccinations should be subsidized.
The woman, in her 20s, became the fifth WA victim of the W strain of the disease — which until recently was relatively rare — when she died last week.
Her colleagues at a government department were informed of her death and told by email to seek medical attention if they had been in contact with her just before she died.
The Health Department said yesterday there had been 40 cases of the various strains of the disease this year, compared with three deaths from 23 cases last year.
The department said 18 of the 40 meningococcal cases this year had been people with the W strain, well above the long-term average of one case a year.
Of the remaining 22 cases, 12 were B strain, eight were Y strain, one was C strain and one was unknown.
Meningococcal disease’s W strain claims fifth victim
All of the vaccinations should be subsidized.