All provincial public health offices nationwide were ordered on 24-hour alert to be able to respond once any infection is detected in their responsible areas, the doctor said.

Meningococcal meningitis is caused by the Neisseria meningitis bacteria serotype A and spreads through droplet infection and close contact.

Meningitis epidemics occur in periodic cycles, usually every 10 to 20 years.

Patients usually develop a wide range of symptoms, including high fever, sore throat and coughing, body ache and headache with rashes on the body, dizziness, vomiting, stiffness in neck and pain, seizures, as well as altered senses or impaired senses.

Children under age 5 and infants in daycare centers are most at risk.

The disease is fully curable by a course of the antibiotics.

Chances of a cure are enhanced if the disease is diagnosed at an early stage.

According to reports from New Zealand at the weekend, its national immunisation programme to attack a meningococcal B epidemic reduced cases of the disease between 2003 and 2005 by 76 per cent.

Vaccination began in July 2004. By the end of May the island nation's health services has administered 3,031,867 doses of the MeNZB vaccine.  

Four-fifths of New Zealand's population between 6 weeks and 19 years, and more than 85 per cent between 5 and 17 years, have had all three doses.
Vaccination for 5 to 19-year-olds finishes at the end of this year, but the vaccine will remain available for under-fives until 2009 or earlier if conditions justify it.

(TNA)-E009