Health alert: Rural SA boy, 2, stable in hospital with meningococcal disease B strain

A 2-YEAR-OLD boy from rural South Australia is in a stable condition in hospital with meningococcal infection identified as the B strain.

A 2-YEAR-OLD boy from rural South Australia is in a stable condition in hospital with meningococcal infection identified as the B strain.

SA Health has identified people who had close contact with the boy and five are being given antibiotics as a precaution.

There have been 13 cases of meningococcal disease reported so far this year, compared to 12 at the same time last year.

Of these, 12 have been the B strain and one the Y strain.

No links have been established between this case and previous cases.

Last year, there were a total of 36 cases of the disease — 22 were the B strain, 11 the W strain and three cases were the Y strain.