A young Australian woman's dream holiday in Japan turned into a terrifying medical emergency when she was struck down by a rare bacterial infection, plunging her into a three-day coma on her final night abroad. Anna Gallo, a 24-year-old from the Gold Coast, became delirious and was rushed to Tokyo's National Center for Global Health and Medicine on February 5, where doctors diagnosed her with a meningococcal B infection that had rapidly escalated into meningitis and septic shock.
Sudden Onset of Symptoms
Ms Gallo recalled feeling perfectly fine earlier in the evening, playing Mario Kart and having dinner with her boyfriend, Liam McDonald, before going to bed. She awoke in the middle of the night with her whole body aggressively shaking. "I'd never shivered so much or felt so cold," she said. Suspecting a fever, she took paracetamol but soon began vomiting a strange black substance before fainting in the bathroom. "The colour of it was black, which was quite concerning," Ms Gallo recounted. "My whole body felt weak and fragile."
Critical Diagnosis and Life-Saving Intervention
Initially thinking it was food poisoning, the couple considered taking their scheduled flight home. However, when "little red mosquito bite-looking" rashes spread across Ms Gallo's body, causing intense pain, they sought urgent medical help. Doctors confirmed it was meningitis and septic shock, a condition where the body's response to infection causes organ failure. Ms Gallo was immediately placed on a ventilator and put into a medically induced coma, with Mr McDonald by her side throughout the ordeal.
"It was the worst few days of my life," Liam said. "The doctors told us that if we had waited even two more hours to get her to hospital, she wouldn't have made it." He kept her parents updated as they booked flights to Tokyo, but when they asked whether she would survive, her doctors were uncertain. Ms Gallo's mother, Ghis, told the ABC: "The doctor told us her blood pressure was now dangerously low, she'd had a blood transfusion, and she needed to be intubated."
Recovery and Vaccination Awareness
Upon arriving in Japan, her parents were warned that Ms Gallo might not survive, and even if she did, permanent brain damage was likely. Miraculously, the following day, Ghis found her daughter sitting in bed with her eyes open and the tube removed. Ms Gallo is now recovering at Gold Coast University Hospital, praising the care she received both in Japan and Australia. "All the doctors and nurses in Japan were incredible, but it was such a relief to be able to speak English again when I got back to Australia," she said. "The nurses at GCUH have been so lovely, kind and gentle."
Vaccination Gap Highlighted
Although Ms Gallo had been vaccinated against meningococcal disease during her school years, she had not received the B strain vaccine, which is extremely rare in Japan. In Queensland, Meningococcal C vaccines have been free since 2003, and the A, C, W, and Y vaccines free since 2017, but the government only made the B vaccine free in 2024. Reflecting on her experience, Ms Gallo encouraged others to take proactive health measures. "I'd encourage everyone to learn about the vaccinations available to protect them and their families, whether or not they're on the government schedule," she advised. "And if you're planning to travel, make sure you research ahead and get immunised."
