A young adult is in a critical condition on life support in a metropolitan Adelaide hospital after being diagnosed with invasive meningococcal disease.
The case has been identified as serogroup B meningococcal disease.
According to SA Health, authorities have traced multiple close contacts of the patient, with seven people identified to receive clearance antibiotics to help prevent further transmission.
SA Health has warned meningococcal disease can progress rapidly and be fatal without immediate medical treatment.
Health Minister Blair Boyer urged South Australians to take necessary precautions to protect themselves with cases rising in 2026.
“We need to just remember that this can be fatal,” Mr Boyer said.
“I think sometimes there can be a tendency for us to get a bit blasé about things like this because we think they might be a problem of the past … they’re not a problem of the past and this year we’ve had 22 cases to date of meningococcal, last year I think the yearly total was 15.
“That’s a pretty serious number and the way we protect ourselves and protect our loved ones is by taking advantage of the vaccination that is there.”
Chief public health officer Professor Nicola Spurrier was pressed for more details about the active case but said it would be inappropriate to comment, but emphasised there had been no risk detected for others living in metropolitan Adelaide.
“From a public health point of view, there’s no threat to anybody else and that’s because we do the contact tracing around any case of meningococcal disease,” she said.
“And you have to be a very close contact – so living with the same household as a person – and … those people are given what we call clearance antibiotics.
“It reduces that carriage of bacteria in the back of the nose and throat and therefore can’t be passed on to anybody else.”
SA Health urged people to seek urgent medical attention if any symptoms or signs of meningococcal disease develop.
Symptoms can include headache, fever, vomiting, neck stiffness and discomfort when looking at lights.
The illness can quickly worsen, with confusion and shock also possible.
A skin rash may also develop, with tiny red or purple spots that can spread and enlarge to resemble fresh bruises.
In young children, symptoms can include being fretful, difficult to wake and refusing to eat.
Vaccines are available for several strains of meningococcal disease.
In South Australia, the meningococcal B vaccine is free for infants at six weeks, four months and 12 months, and for adolescents in year 10 under funded national and state programs.
The ACWY vaccine is also free for infants at 12 months and adolescents in year 10.
SA Health said vaccinated people should still remain alert to symptoms because vaccines do not protect against all types of meningococcal disease.