This comes as the parents of final-year nursing student Brittany Arthur (20), of Christchurch, call on Dunedin residents, particularly students, to be wary of the disease's symptoms.
Ms Arthur died at Dunedin Hospital on Saturday from acute meningococcal meningitis.
Southern District Health Board (SDHB) medical officer of health Marion Poore said yesterday it had identified 21 close contacts of Ms Arthur who were at ''slightly higher risk of illness'', and offered them antibiotics.
Dr Poore said meningococcal disease was uncommon, but tended to occur more frequently during winter.
Fourteen cases had been notified in the SDHB area so far this year, compared with an average of seven cases a year from 2007 to 2015.
There was no outbreak at present, as the cases notified this year were caused by a variety of groups and strains of meningococcal bacteria.
In a notice for staff and students at Dunedin's tertiary institutions, Dr Poore said Public Health South did not consider ''there is an increased risk to staff and students generally'' following Ms Arthur's death.
She did, however, stress the need for people to be aware of the signs and symptoms of the disease.
A Public Health South spokeswoman said there had been 77 cases of meningococcal disease notified to the Southern DHB, and five deaths.
There was no way of knowing exactly how Ms Arthur contracted the disease, but it happens when bacteria in the throat and nose penetrate the body’s defences and cause invasive and potentially life threatening disease.
The meningococcus bacteria was present in the nose and throat of 10-20% of the population and frequently passed from person to person without causing harm. On rare occasions it could penetrate the body's defences and cause a life-threatening illness.
''This can usually be treated successfully with antibiotics if the condition is diagnosed early,'' Dr Poore said.
People who were vaccinated were only protected against specific strains and so were still at risk from the disease.
Signs and symptoms included (not all symptoms may be present):
•Looking ''really unwell'' and getting worse.
•Fever.
•A skin rash (reddish-purple blotchy spots or bruising from bleeding into the skin).
•Headache, nausea and neck stiffness, irritation by bright light.
''Any contact of a person suffering from meningococcal disease who becomes ill with fever and a rash and any of the above symptoms should be seen by a doctor without delay.
''We encourage you to look out for your friends and seek help, particularly if they are really unwell and getting worse,'' Dr Poore said.
Otago University Students' Association president Kayla Miller said it was keen to raise awareness about meningococcal to prevent such a ''heart-breaking'' tragedy recurring.
It had shared information on social media and would educate its members about the early symptoms, Ms Miller said.
''My heart goes to out to her friends and family,'' she said.
