A young person is in a stable condition at a Hunter hospital after contracting meningococcal disease.
It’s the third case of the disease for the Hunter New England health region this year.
Close contacts of the patient have been prescribed clearance antibiotics, and authorities say there is no link to previous cases.
Public health physician Doctor Tony Merritt says seeking medical treatment quickly can prevent serious complications.
“Meningococcal disease may be very severe and the community needs to be on the alert for its symptoms,” he said.
Early symptoms include pain in the legs, cold hands and feet and abnormal skin colour, while high fever, headache, neck stiffness and a rash of reddish-purple spots or bruises can develop later.
text will be replaced
