Meningococcal disease

Fact sheet - Health conditions directory.

Illustrative fact sheet (PDF 833 kB) - Signs and symptoms.

Meningococcal disease antibiotics for close contacts - Health conditions directory.

Meningococcal disease is a severe but uncommon infection that occurs when meningococcal bacteria invade the body from the throat or nose. At any given time, meningococcal bacteria are carried harmlessly at the back of the throat or in the nose in about 10% of the community. Although most people who have these bacteria in their throat or nose remain quite well, they are able to spread the bacteria to others, and a few of these people may subsequently become ill.

Meningococcal disease occurs in two main forms (or a combination of these two forms):

• meningococcal meningitis - when the bacteria infect the lining around the brain and spinal cord
• meningococcal septicaemia - when the bacteria invade the bloodstream and cause blood poisoning.

• Read Communicable Diseases Network Australia guidelines

Notification

Pathology laboratories

• Notification criteria for pathology laboratories (PDF, 55kB)
• Communication (notification procedure)

Attending medical practitioners/medical superintendents (or delegates)

• Communication (notification procedure)

Notification resources

• List of all Pathological, clinical and provisional diagnosis notifiable conditions
• List of Public Health Unit contacts
• Notifiable conditions report for Queensland doctors/clinicians (PHA S70) or person in charge of a Hospital (PHA S71) (PDF, 77kB) - if faxing notification, follow up by phone.

Enhanced surveillance for public health units

• Case report form (PDF, 428kB) - used by public health units to collect and manage more detailed information for enhanced case surveillance.

• Flowchart (PDF, 71kB) - quick reference chart for immediate management of meningococcal disease.

Immunisation

• Immunisation – Queensland Health website for health professionals.

• Australian immunisation handbook - provides clinical guidelines for health professionals on the safest and most effective use of vaccines in their practice.

Related information

• Poster for General Practitioners (PDF, 221kB) – information on signs, symptoms and actions to be taken.
• Poster for Emergency Departments (PDF, 211kB) - information on signs, symptoms and actions to be taken.

• View communicable diseases data for notifiable conditions in Queensland.
• Invasive Meningococcal Disease in Queensland 2005 (PDF, 174kB) – the aim of this report is to explore the effects of vaccination to date.
• The Health of Queenslanders 2006 – the first Report of the Chief Health Officer Queensland containing the notification count for invasive meningococcal disease during the period 2002-2005.