Tasmanian girl, 4, contracts meningococcal

A four-year-old girl is the eighth known case of meningococcal in Tasmania this year.

The East Devonport girl is in the Royal Hobart Hospital in a stable condition after contracting the disease with the strain still unknown, public health acting director Scott McKeown says.

"Public Health Services is currently working with the girl's family to ensure they and other close contacts are properly managed to minimise the risk of further infection," he said on Tuesday.

She is the eighth person to have meningococcal disease in Tasmania this year, up from an average of six cases per year, the department says.

A statewide vaccination program for meningococcal ACWY strains is under way after an outbreak in the Hobart suburbs of New Town, Moonah and Glenorchy.

The symptoms of the disease can include fever, severe headache, confusion, severe muscle pain, and rashes.