The father of a teenager who died from the deadly meningococcal disease says his "heart and soul is shattered" after the sudden loss of his son, as health authorities confirm he contracted the W strain, which is on the rise in Australia.

West Australian Lloyd Dunham, 19, died while on holiday in Tasmania on Saturday after contracting a meningococcal infection.

Symptoms of meningococcal disease Headaches

Headaches Nausea

Nausea Vomiting

Vomiting Light sensitivity

Light sensitivity Sometimes cold hands and feet

Sometimes cold hands and feet Sometimes painful, stiff joints

Sometimes painful, stiff joints Sometimes rash

His father, Terry Dunham, has posted a moving tribute to his son on social media, amid an outpouring of grief from family and friends.

"My heart and soul is shattered into pieces by your sudden departure from this world," he wrote.

"My son, my blood. Love you. Thank you for all the friendship and smiles you gave everyone."

A post from Lloyd's former workplace in Western Australia's south, where he was doing an apprenticeship, said his colleagues were shocked by the news.

"He was such a great guy and we will all miss him so much," the post said.

"I will miss his witty banter in the morning at work. It just will be a little different from now on. RIP young fella, you will be greatly missed," Stephen Morrow wrote.

"I sang his praises from the first day he started with us, Lloyd was a top guy and had so much going for him," Jennifer Holman wrote.

"Always a smile and a wave in the morning and willing to help anyone that asked, without hesitation."

Rise in deadly W strain

Tasmania's Director of Public Health, Mark Veitch, said Mr Dunham had the W strain of meningococcal disease.

"The closest contacts were provided advice about the very small risk to them of being a secondary case of infection, also antibiotics were provided to the closest contacts of the case," he said.

"Secondary meningococcal cases related to a primary case of infection are very rare, we haven't had one in Tasmania in at least seven years."

Mr Veitch said it was difficult to determine exactly where a person contracted the disease.

"It's rarely necessary to get in touch with an airline because domestic flights in Australia, even the longer ones, are not of sufficient duration that there's a risk to passengers," he said.

This year, 12 cases of meningococcal disease have been reported in Tasmania, including in four interstate visitors.

Tasmania has a higher rate of meningococcal W compared to the rest of the Australia.

Watch out for multiple symptoms

Meningococcal Australia director Eliza Ault-Connell, whose legs and her fingers were amputated when she contracted the disease at the age of 16, said Lloyd's was an all too familiar story.

"Meningococcal disease is an acute bacterial infection and it can cause death within hours," she said.

She said there had been a rise in cases, particularly of the W strain, across Australia.

She said early signs and symptoms could be vague, and mistaken for flu or a stomach bug, but when there were multiple symptoms people should get checked out.

Ms Ault-Connell said a rash associated with the disease only sometimes appeared, but when it did it needed to be treated as a medical emergency.

She said vaccinations were available for the five main strains of meningococcal.

Babies are vaccinated for free at 12 months of age, but for the two most common strains — B and W — vaccinations needed to be paid for privately for adults.

In WA, teens can get a free ACWY meningococcal strain vaccine.

There have been 13 cases of meningococcal diagnosed in WA this year and 23 last year.