Health · Public Health & Disease · 1 hr ago
Young Australian in critical condition with meningococcal disease
A young Australian is in critical condition in an Adelaide hospital after being diagnosed with invasive meningococcal disease.
The patient was reportedly on life support as of Saturday morning.
The infection is serogroup B, a rare but serious form of the disease.
Seven people who had close contact with the patient were prescribed antibiotics to help prevent further transmission.
The patient had contact with multiple people, but no further details about those contacts are given.
The antibiotics are intended to reduce the risk of further spread; no other next steps are stated.
A young adult is on life support in an Adelaide hospital with invasive meningococcal B disease.
South Australia has recorded 22 meningococcal disease cases this year, compared with 13 at the same time last year.
Contact tracing identified seven close contacts who were prescribed preventative antibiotics.
South Australia’s health minister and chief public health officer called for greater uptake of the meningococcal B vaccine.
Authorities said the risk to the wider population from the infected person was low.
- Who
- A young adult in Adelaide, whose identity was not stated.
- What
- The patient has invasive meningococcal B disease and is on life support.
- When
- Saturday, 31 October 2026.
- Where
- A hospital in metropolitan Adelaide, South Australia.
- Why
- The reason the patient contracted the disease was not stated.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
A young adult was reported to be on life support in an Adelaide hospital with meningococcal B disease.
Contact tracing identified seven close contacts who were prescribed clearance antibiotics.
- Cases in South Australia
- 22 reported in 2026
- Cases at the same time in 2025
- 13
- Close contacts
- 7 prescribed clearance antibiotics
- Vaccine coverage
- Roughly 50 per cent of eligible South Australians, according to Blair Boyer
2 sources
What people are saying
I think at the moment we have roughly 50 per cent of eligible people in our state who are actually vaccinated and covered for meningococcal B
The kids most at risk are the young children
The other highest risk group is 15 to 20-year-olds, and that's why we have the school-based program.