Meningitis Centre Australia said the 18-year-old from the South Coast died in Canberra after attending Spilt Milk on November 26.

"This Year 12 school leaver, she had the rest of her life ahead of her and it's a vaccine preventable disease," Meningitis Centre Australia chief executive officer Karen Quick said.

READ MORE: Spilt Milk punter catches meningococcal disease

On Monday, NSW Health issued a statement saying a "woman in her late teens has died from meningococcal disease".

ACT Health previously put out a warning about the case, and said it was contacting high-risk close contacts of the woman, who was being treated in Canberra Hospital.

"It is not known where the case acquired their infection, however they had attended the Spilt Milk festival in the week prior becoming unwell," an ACT Health spokesperson said.

"While ACT Health is not aware of any other cases connected to Spilt Milk it is important for people who attended the festival to be alert to the symptoms of meningococcal disease and seek medical review if they occur."

Officials would not say which strain of the disease the woman had, but Ms Quick said the teenager was not vaccinated against meningococcal strain B. This is the only common strain not included in the free meningococcal vaccine offered to Year 10 students.

Anyone who attended the festival is being urged to look out for symptoms, such as a sudden onset of fever, headache, neck stiffness, joint pain or a a rash of red-purple spots or bruises.

People with any symptoms should immediately attend an emergency department or GP. If they are turned away, and symptoms persist or get worse, people are advised to go back to the hospital or doctor.

One in 10 people who contract meningococcal will die, Ms Quick said. One in four will be permanently disabled.

"That can be anything from loss of limbs to scarring," she said.

"Can be loss of hearing, loss of sight, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, extreme fatigue.

"For many people, it's lifelong disability. Some people need 24-hour support for the rest of their lives."

The disease is now uncommon due to vaccination. Children under five and people aged 15 to 25 are at the greatest risk of contracting the disease.

However, Ms Quick said: "It's rare until it happens to you. There's been well over 100 cases this year in Australia."

"We've got to start thinking about it. We've got to start protecting our kids," she said.

There are five common strains of Meningococcal disease in Australia, which can all be vaccinated against.

Year 10 students in the ACT receive a vaccination for meningococcal serogroups A, C, W and Y.

Ms Quick said this vaccine seemed to last between seven to ten years.

However, the meningococcal B vaccine, available for people two months of age, costs around $130 a jab, Ms Quick said.

She wants the vaccine to be included on NSW and National Immunisation Plans.

"No child should go without because their parents can't afford it," Ms Quick said.

Known as the "kissing disease", meningococcal bacteria is usually spread though sneezing, coughing or deep kissing.

In addition to death, the disease can cause organ failure, limb loss and skin and tissue damage.

Teenagers and young people are often at higher risk of catching meningococcal, the Meningitis Centre Australia said.

This is because they are more likely to kiss multiple partners, have crowded living situations, share smokes or vapes and partake in mass gatherings like music festivals.

Ms Quick said summer months were high risk for the spread of the bacteria.

"All the music festivals are happening [this time of year]. They share drinks, and they're all close up to each other. And that's the way it should be: they're teenagers, they should be having fun. But they need to be really aware that it is a high risk situation," she said.

"Look out for signs and symptoms after being in that situation and just don't share drinks."