Three in hospital with suspected deadly disease

Two adults and a baby were rushed to Hawke's Bay Hospital yesterday with the potentially deadly meningococcal disease.

The three patients, from Napier and Hastings, were this morning in a stable condition. There were no obvious links between the latest cases, communicable diseases coordinator Maureen Grapes said.

"The season is upon us. It's been a long time since we had three cases in a day," Mrs Grapes said.

A child admitted to hospital late last week with the illness was continuing to improve and was now "out of the danger zone".

Public health nurses had traced about 40 people who had been in close physical contact with the latest patients during the past seven days, and were this morning delivering antibiotics to prevent any further spread.

The aim was to see all contacts within 24 hours, Mr Grapes said.

Once a list of contacts was drawn up, they had to be found and, in the case of children, weighed to calculate the required dose of antibiotics.

Close contacts could still develop the illness, but the two-day course of antibiotics cleared meningococcal bacteria from their throats and stopped the illness spreading.

A vaccine against New Zealand's unique strain of meningococcal disease was expected to be ready in some areas next year.

"I'll be rapt when the vaccine is ready. It will save a lot of heartache and young people's lives," Mrs Grapes said.

- HAWKE'S BAY TODAY