Meningococcal disease

• Meningococcal disease can lead to serious infections including meningitis (inflammation of the brain membranes) and sepsis (blood poisoning or septicaemia). These illnesses can develop quickly and can cause serious disability or even death. 
• Common symptoms of meningococcal disease include sudden fever, a high fever, headache, sleepiness, joint and muscle pains. If you have these symptoms, get urgent medical attention.
• Those most at risk are babies and young children under 5 years, teenagers and young adults, people with weakened immune systems or living in shared accommodation or overcrowded housing.
• Meningococcal disease is treated with antibiotics – it cannot be treated at home.
• Vaccination against meningococcal disease protects against most, but not all types of meningococcal disease. 

Image credit Meningococcal disease(external link) Health Promotion Agency, NZ, 2013

What is meningococcal disease?

Meninogococcal disease is caused by meningococcal bacteria. There are several different types of meningococcal bacteria including A, B, C, Y and W. Most cases are caused by the B type. W type is the second most common and is the cause of the outbreak in Northland 2018/2019.

Usually, the bacteria sit harmlessly in the back of healthy people’s noses and throats and are not passed on to others. The illness happens when these bacteria enter the bloodstream to cause septicaemia (infection in your blood, also known as bacteremia) or meningitis (inflammation of the membrane covering your brain). Sometimes severe infection can also occur in your joints, throat, lungs or intestines.

Watch this video by clicking on the image.

(external link) 

(Immunisation Advisory Centre, NZ, 2017)

Meningococcal disease can look like influenza (the flu) in its early stages and be difficult to diagnose, but it quickly gets much worse. The symptoms and signs may not all show up at once, and the illness may develop gradually over a few days, or much more quickly – over a few hours. People with meningococcal disease may have some or all of the following symptoms:

Don’t wait – take action. If you or someone in your household is sick with one or more of the symptoms above, take action immediately. Ring a doctor, medical or after-hours centre or the free Healthline number (0800 611 116) right away, day or night. If it is an emergency, call 111.

Meningococcal disease bacteria live in the back of the nose and throat of about 1 in 10 healthy people, but only very rarely cause illness. The bacteria are spread by coughing, sneezing and intimate kissing. Very close or ongoing contact such as living in the same house is usually required for the bacteria to spread to other people.

Meningococcal disease can affect anyone of any age, but those most at risk are:

• babies under the age of 1 year
• Māori and Pasifika children under 5 years old
• teenagers and young adults
• people living in overcrowded households
• young people in hostels or residential centres
• people exposed to tobacco smoke
• people with a weakened immune system
• anyone with another type of respiratory infection, such as the flu (influenza).

People can catch meningococcal disease at any time of the year, but it’s more common in winter and spring.

Meningococcal disease can be difficult to diagnose because the signs and symptoms are often similar to those of other illnesses, such as influenza (the flu). If your doctor suspects meningococcal disease, you will be referred to hospital where samples of your blood or cerebrospinal fluid (fluid near your spinal cord) will be collected and sent to the laboratory to check if an infection is present.

The infection is treated with antibiotics to kill the bacteria. It is important that treatment starts as soon as possible – meningococcal disease often develops quickly over a few hours and can cause serious disability or even death. If your doctor suspects you have meningococcal disease, they will give you antibiotics right away. Antibiotics help reduce the risk of complications and death.

Meningococcal disease bacteria can be spread from person to person through by coughing, sneezing and kissing. Therefore, to prevent the spread, cover your nose or mouth when you sneeze or cough, and wash and dry your hands well. 

If you come into contact with someone who has meningococcal disease

If you come into close contact with someone who has meningococcal disease, you are at the highest risk of developing the infection during the 7 days after the person developed symptoms. The local public health service follows up people who have recently come into close contact with anyone who has developed meningococcal disease and may provide you with preventive antibiotics. The antibiotics stop the spread of the disease, but you may still be at risk of getting the infection; you still need to watch for any symptoms, and get medical help quickly.

Vaccines are available to prevent against meningococcal disease. They protect against most, but not all types of meningococcal disease. In New Zealand vaccination is free for groups of people with a high risk of meningococcal disease. This includes children, teenagers and adults with a weakened immune system and young people aged 13 to 25 entering communal accommodation such as boarding school hostels, tertiary education halls of residence, military barracks and prisons. Read more about meningococcal vaccine.

Meningococcal disease section(external link) Auckland Regional Public Health Service, 2011
Meningococcal disease(external link) Ministry of Health, NZ, 2017
Meningococcal disease(external link) Immunisation Advisory Centre NZ, 2017
Meningococcal disease - key points to remember(external link) Kidshealth NZ, 2016 
Meningococcal disease factsheet(external link) Immunisation Advisory Centre NZ, 2015

Meningococcal disease [PDF, 1.8 MB] Health Promotion Agency and Te Whatu Ora, NZ, 2023
Immunise against meningococcal disease(external link) Health Promotion Agency, NZ & Ministry of Health, NZ, 2020
Meningococcal disease is serious(external link) Health Ed NZ and NZ Ministry of Health, 2012 Available in the following languages: English(external link), Samoan(external link)
Meningococcal disease factsheet – don't wait, take action(external link) Health Promotion Agency, NZ and Ministry of Health, NZ, 2013
Meningococcal disease – know the symptoms(external link) Health Promotion Agency, NZ, 2022 Available in the following languages: English,(external link) Te reo Māori,(external link) Samoan,(external link) Tongan(external link)

Meningococcal disease, meningitis and sepsis
Meningococcal vaccine
Meningitis
Fever

Messaging for healthcare professionals on meningococcal disease (August 2019)

• There has been a significant increase in Neisseria meningitidis serogroup W (MenW) in New Zealand since mid-2017.
• This particular strain of MenW affects all age groups and is associated with a high case-fatality rate.
• The Ministry of Health is requesting that healthcare professionals remain alert to the symptoms of meningococcal disease as early intervention is essential.

Read more: Messaging for healthcare professionals on meningococcal disease(external link).

Clinical resources

Meningococcal disease – information for general practitioners and emergency departments Ministry of Health, NZ, 2018
Meningococcal – information for health professionals(external link) Ministry of Health NZ, 2014
Meningococcal disease – always consider in a patient with flu-like illness(external link) BPAC NZ, 2014
Group B Meningococcal Disease in New Zealand(external link) Research review educational series