The Bay of Plenty is not at any more risk of contracting meningococcal disease than we have been in the last 20 or 30 years, says medical officer of health Dr Phil Shoemack.

This comes after a woman died of the disease at Waikato Hospital on Friday March 15.

The 24-year-old died of meningococcal septicaemia, or blood poisoning. Meningococcal disease is a bacterial infection which can cause meningitis or septicaemia.

'New Zealand had an epidemic of meningococcal disease through the 1990s until about 2005,” says Phil.

'During that period there were several thousand cases and quite a number of people died.

'We've now gone not quite back to what we would call pre-epidemic levels, about 120 cases were confirmed last year in New Zealand, whereas before the epidemic, which started in 1991, we used to get about 50 cases a year.

'So we are not back to that base line but it's much better than what it used to be.

'Unfortunately, there was someone who died in the Waikato, it's a serious illness unfortunately, but it's also readily treated with anti-biotics if it's diagnosed soon enough.”

Phil says the message to the general public and residents of the Bay of Plenty is, if you or someone you know is developing symptoms, seek urgent medical attention.

'The sort of things to look for is someone with a rapidly developing headache with nausea, vomiting, not liking bright lights and ultimately the individual becomes quite drowsy and can be unresponsive,” says Phil.

'And the advice, as with any illness if you have any concerns about an individual, seek urgent medical attention.

'The fact that someone in the Waikato died from this illness doesn't change anything either in the Waikato or anywhere else in the country.

'It's an illness that occurs from time to time and as I've said the message is to be alert and seek urgent medical attention.”