Seven-week-old baby girl dies of invasive meningococcal disease in Adelaide hospital

South Australian health authorities are working to identify which strain of invasive meningococcal disease the 7-week-old contracted.

A seven-week-old infant has tragically died of invasive meningococcal disease, South Australian health authorities said on Sunday.

The baby girl, from metropolitan Adelaide, died in the Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

It is not yet known which strain of the disease she contracted.

Seven people who have been in contact with her have been prescribed clearance antibiotics and issued with health information.

SA Health said it is the fifth case of invasive meningococcal disease reported in Adelaide this year, compared to 25 cases at the time in 2019.

Of those five cases, two have been strain B and the other two identified a strain Y.

In 2019, of the total 27 cases reported, 19 were strain B, four were strain W, and four were strain Y.