Meningococcal disease is a deadly disease that many people confuse with sunburn as the symptoms are so similar.
The disease is very rare but is treatable if it is caught on time!
However Professor Robert Booy who is the head of the clinical research team in Australia’s National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance has warned that this disease can be deadly if it is not found in the first 24 hours.
‘Meningococcal is a dreadful disease because five to 10 per cent die, 15 to 20 per cent are left with devastating complications and it can come on in just 12 to 24 hours,’ Professor Booy told AAP.
‘It is really important to recognise the early signs to get antibiotic treatment from the doctor,’ he continued.
Research that was commissioned by drug company GlaxoSmithKline revealed 41 per cent of respondents weren’t aware of the symptoms.
22 per cent thought the deadly disease was another illness with two per cent saying it was cancer, 16 percent saying it was the flu and four per cent saying it was sunburn.
The symptoms for the bacterial infection are high fever and a rash which begins with small dots and increases to become large purple patches over the body.
The person suffering from the disease may also have vomiting, pains in their legs, stiffness in their neck and sensitivity to light.
However the signs are vague the rash is a sure sign of the disease.
So make sure you’re aware of these signs!