‘Ring of protection’: Authorities work to contain ‘major’ outbreak

Health authorities are in a race to identify close contacts of a baby boy from the Cairns’ northern beaches who has been stuck down with a life threatening case of meningococcal sepsis.

The five-month-old baby from Cairns northern beachs is fighting for life in Townsville Hospital after being stuck down with a severe case of meningococcal septicaemia. Picture: GoFundMe

Health authorities are in a race to identify close contacts of a baby boy from the Cairns northern beaches who has been stuck down with a life-threatening case of meningococcal sepsis.

The five-month-old from Cairns’ northern beaches was rushed to Townsville University Hospital on Sunday where he remains in the intensive care unit in a serious but stable condition.

The latest case is the third within the Cairns region and follows two cases in Yarrabah in August, however health authorities say there is no evidence directly linking the outbreaks.

Contact tracing is underway for close contacts of the infant and free antibiotics have been offered to those that came into contact with the affected child.

Acting director Tropical Public Health Services Dr Paul Dugdale has provided an update on a Cairns meningococcal outbreak. Picture: Peter Carruthers

Immunisation is being provided to prevent further transmission, while local GPs and emergency departments have been alerted and asked to be on the look out for additional cases.

Acting director of Tropical Public Health Services Cairns Dr Paul Dugdale said three cases within a month was “unusual” and a “fairly significant event”.

“Three cases in Cairns (area) all reported in the month of August is a major outbreak,” he said.

“We’ll be doing everything we can to bring the outbreak under control.”

Meningococcal disease can be a serious infection that can cause severe scarring, loss of limbs, brain damage and death.

Dr Dugdale said 70 people have been contacted and provided with antibiotics as well as the meningococcal vaccine.

“This is to provide a ring of protection to reduce the amount of bacteria immediately around the cases,” he said.

“We’ve had great co-operation from them so far.”

The introduction of the MenACWY vaccine to Australia in 2017 has meant a cohort of children that are not fully immunised against the disease while the rollout of the free Meningococcal B vaccine began in March this year.

More than 87 per cent of all meningococcal disease can be attributed to the B strain, Dr Dugdale said.

“There are a lot of kids that would not have been offered a vaccine as yet on the program,” he said.

“In the longer term, all of those (kids) will get vaccinated through the Queensland immunisation program (but) in response to this outbreak, we’re wanting to accelerate that for those who will benefit from the vaccines.

The boy is now in a stable but serious condition at the hospital's intensive care unit. Picture: GoFundMe

“The infant had their first dose of the vaccine, but they hadn’t had their second dose.

“It does take a couple of doses, three for the littlies before you get the full immunity.

“If you’ve had the vaccination you will get good protection from it.”

On Sunday a heartbreaking appeal was launched on behalf of the sick infant that on Tuesday had raised more than $12,000 for the baby’s mother.

Meningococcal disease can range in severity from being an undetectable infection where you have no symptoms to invasive meningococcal disease that impacts the lining of the brain to produce stiff neck and photophobia symptoms.

A third case of meningococcal has infected a baby boy from Cairns who was rushed to Townsville University Hospital. Picture: GoFundMe

It can infect the bloodstream, which is the most dangerous type of invasive meningococcal disease, called meningococcal sepsis.

Clotting inside arteries can cut off the blood supply to limbs that can lead to the loss of fingers, arms and legs.

“Invasive meningococcal disease has got maybe a 10 to 15 per cent mortality rate, and (an) important point to make is that it’s very treatable with fairly simple antibiotics,” Dr Dugdale said.

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Originally published as ‘Ring of protection’: Authorities work to contain ‘major’ outbreak