A Shirley Boys’ High School student has been admitted to hospital with meningococcal meningitis.

Headmaster Tim Grocott told chrislynchmedia.com the student was “alert, talking and fine.”

“Close contacts have met with or will be contacted by Public Health Service staff to discuss their own health. The school is following the protocols from the Public Health Service,” Grocott said.

He added that the student’s condition was improving. “The student is well, and his condition is improving, and our thoughts are with the student and his family as he recovers from the infection.”

In an email to parents, Grocott reassured them the risk to others at the school was very low.

“The risk of someone else who attends Shirley Boys’ High School developing the disease is very small, especially as the student’s symptoms only emerged this week and the student has not attended school since Friday 22 August,” he said.

Meningococcal bacteria live in people’s noses and throats and are spread through coughing, sneezing, or contact with nose and throat secretions. While the bacteria can be passed from person to person, it is relatively uncommon for even family contacts to become ill.

The National Public Health Service has provided antibiotic protection to close contacts of the student or anyone who may have been exposed.

Grocott said that while further cases were unlikely, it was important to act quickly if symptoms appeared.

“Although further cases of meningococcal disease are unlikely, if your child does develop the symptoms described in the linked website information below, you should take them to your doctor urgently as meningococcal disease can progress rapidly,” he said.

 Dr Annabel Begg, Medical Officer of Health for the National Public Health Service, told chrislynchmedia.com  “The National Public Health Service in Canterbury have been notified of a meningococcal case in Canterbury.

“All of the close contacts have been identified and been offered antibiotics. There is very little risk of meningococcal disease to others, as the infection is only passed on when people have close or prolonged contact.

The National Public Health Service has worked closely with the school and determined there was also no risk of meningococcal disease infection for other students or staff.”

Further information about meningococcal disease is available on the Health New Zealand website: https://info.health.nz/conditions-treatments/infectious-diseases/meningococcal-disease.

For advice, parents can also contact the National Public Health Service Canterbury on (03) 364 1777.

 

Symptoms of meningococcal disease