DEADLY BUG KILLS TOT | Bay of Plenty News | Local News in Bay of Plenty

A Tauranga family is mourning the loss of their "bubbly and happy" toddler who died of suspected meningococcal disease.

Ruby Olivia Smart, of Hairini, was just 22 months old when she died last Thursday.

Ruby's devastated parents, Katherine and Dion Smart, said their daughter's illness happened very quickly, with "no warning".

"She had been unwell for a few days and then we thought she was getting better," Mrs Smart said.

"She just woke up from lying next to me on the couch and got a little bit agitated, and wasn't 'there'. So we took her to the hospital by the ambulance, and she stopped breathing."

It wasn't until Ruby was in the ambulance that a rash commonly associated with meningococcal disease appeared on Ruby's tiny body.

The toddler was pronounced dead at 11.50pm on Thursday.

Ruby's funeral was held yesterday at the Mount Maunganui Surf Club, and was "lovely", Mrs Smart said.

"She was just a very bubbly, happy girl."

Ruby, who would have turned two next month, had had a low immunity and had "picked up a lot of bugs", like many children at daycare, Mrs Smart said.

Ruby attended Nestlings Preschool and Nursery in Bethlehem.

Older sister Jorja had remained well and the news had not yet sunk in.

Medical officer of health Phil Shoemack confirmed an individual in Tauranga had died last week of "likely" meningococcal disease.

The last meningococcal death in the Bay was several years ago, Dr Shoemack said.

Each week an average of two or three people in New Zealand were diagnosed with the disease, Dr Shoemack said. Out of those, one in 20 died.

And of those who survived, one in 10 end up with life-long issues.

 New Zealand had an epidemic of meningococcal disease from the early 1990s to 2006.

"At the height of it in the late 90s we were getting about 650 cases a year in New Zealand."

The worst year in the Bay of Plenty/Lakes district was 2001, when there were 101 cases. Although the epidemic was now over, New Zealand was still seeing about 100 cases a year - double the number before the epidemic.