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Monday, September 12, 2011

Australia : Disease alert after 21yo dies

Via ABC News :

" A man from the Upper Derwent Valley has died from meningococcal disease.

The 21-year-old was taken to the Royal Hobart Hospital by ambulance after developing severe symptoms on Saturday.

It is the ninth meningococcal infection to be reported in Tasmania this year but the first death since 2004.

The Director of Public Health, Dr Roscoe Taylor says it appears to be an isolated incident and Tasmanians should not worry about an outbreak.

"It's actually not that contagious as a disease."

"Although up to 10 per cent of the community can carry the organism in the back of their throat, most of the time it's a harmless colonisation not an invasive infection.

"We're not expecting an outbreak. It looks like this will be an isolated case."

Dr Taylor says the disease is rare despite the bacterium being commonly spread."

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