15 Sep 2016

Church linked to Auckland meningococcal cases

2:32 pm on 15 September 2016

Public health officials are investigating after two people who went to the same Auckland church got meningococcal disease.

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Photo: 123rf

They both attended services at the Fijian Seventh Day Adventist Church in Ōtāhuhu.

The Auckland Regional Public Health Service urged people who were at the church between Saturday 27 August and Monday 5 September to look out for symptoms of the disease.

That included fever, confusion, sleepiness, dislike of bright lights, stiff neck, joint pain and the appearance of a rash.

Babies and children might also refuse feeds, could be floppy, or start vomiting.

One of the people with the disease was still in hospital, while the other had been discharged, the service said.

Staff were looking into whether the cases were linked, but said it was too soon to say if there was an outbreak.

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