ACT Health announced there has been a case of meningococcal from an individual who is currently in Canberra Hospital and attended Spilt Milk on November 26.

The person is from New South Wales and ACT Health is working closely with NSW Health to identify contacts.

Any close contacts of the individual who are at higher risk are being identified and contacted directly.

ACT chief health officer Kerryn Coleman said while meningococcal disease was uncommon, it could be severe and lead to lifelong complications, or death.

"We are urging people who attended the Spilt Milk festival at Exhibition Park in Canberra on the weekend to be aware of the symptoms of meningococcal disease," she said.

"One of the more well-known symptoms is a rash but this may not be present at all, or may come very late in the illness."

Other symptoms can include the sudden onset of fever, headache, neck stiffness, joint pain, a rash of red-purple spots or bruises, dislike of bright lights, nausea or vomiting.

Young children often have less specific symptoms including irritability, difficulty waking, high-pitched crying and refusal to eat.

Not all of the symptoms may be present at once.

"People can carry meningococcal bacteria in their throats and not have symptoms, but pass it on to close contacts. If you suspect symptoms of meningococcal disease, please seek medical review immediately," said Dr Coleman.

The disease is now uncommon due to vaccination. Children under five and people aged 15 to 25 are at the greatest risk of contracting the disease.

READ MORE:

Vaccination is the best way to protect yourself from the disease.

Chair of epidemiology at Deakin University Catherine Bennett said meningococcal was "a nasty disease" however is entirely treatable if people get medical support early.

"The main thing is that [the hospital] collects a blood sample and start [the patient] on antibiotics straight away," she said.

"It can actually lead to limb loss and so on, so the main thing is if people had any of the general symptoms not to wait, particularly if they start to see a rash but they don't necessarily see a rash."

Professor Bennett said people who attend festivals like Spilt Milk are more likely to contract COVID as meningococcal is harder to transmit.

"It is usually transmitted by throat secretions, so that's why it was one of those ones called the 'kissing disease'," she said.

Sharing a drink, being extremely close to someone near each other are other ways people can catch the disease.

"It's definitely a droplet spread thing," Prof Bennett said.

Meningococcal ACWY vaccination is provided free for all children at 12 months of age, adolescents and people of all ages with certain medical conditions as part of the National Immunisation Program.

Meningococcal ACWY is delivered to year 10 students in the ACT through the school immunisation program.

For more information on meningococcal disease visit health.act.gov.au/about-our-health-system/population-health/fact-sheets.

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