Port Adelaide players John Butcher and Jarrad Redden are on the mend after being hospitalised with viral meningitis on the weekend.

According to a statement from the Power, the pair will stay away from the club for the next seven to 10 days.

Butcher has not played in the AFL since round three while Redden is yet to play this season.

The statement also confirmed three players from the club’s SANFL academy contracted viral meningitis in the past two days but “have responded well to treatment and have already been discharged from hospital”.

Port said it contracted a team from the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in an attempt to eradicate the virus from the club’s facilities.

“We sought immediate advice from two infectious disease experts from the Health Services Department who provided comprehensive recommendations to achieve a best practice response to this situation and protect our staff and players in the future,” chief executive Keith Thomas said.

“These recommendations were immediately implemented. We contracted the ISS team from the Queen Elizabeth Hospital to conduct a ‘hospital strength’ cleansing of the entire AFL and SANFL training environment, plus the administration area.

“This cleansing process has now been completed.”

The South Australian Department of Health told the club it is a “typical winter outbreak of the virus”.

“What has occurred here at Port Adelaide is a typical community outbreak that is not unusual within a small community environment like a football club,” Port Adelaide’s chief medical officer Dr Mark Fisher said.

“This virus is particularly prevalent within the community at this time of the year and it is most likely that someone has brought it into the club and it has spread from there.”