Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Health officials rule out links in meningococcal cases

Updated at 7:16 pm on 3 August 2011

Health authorities on Wednesday ruled out any link between three cases of meningococcal disease in the South Island.

Regional public health staff in Canterbury spent the day seeking to establish whether three cases of a rare and nasty strain of the disease in adults are linked.

Fulton Hogan chief executive Bill Perry died at Christchurch Hospital on Saturday after contracting the Type C strain.

Another Fulton Hogan employee with meningococcal disease linked to that of Mr Perry is said to be recovering well at Dunedin Hospital.

The man attended two meetings with Mr Perry. Six others who were at the meetings have been treated as a precaution.

The third case involves a woman in her 40s, who is in Christchurch Hospital. Canterbury community and public health authorities say they have established that hers is not linked to any other cases.

They say it is pleasing any wider link has been ruled out so quickly and there is no reason for a vaccination programme against meningococcal disease.

A baby was excluded from the investigation on Wednesday because the child has a different sub-type of the disease and has been discharged from Dunedin Hospital.

Listen to Medical Officer of Health Alistair Humphrey on Checkpoint

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