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The control of meningococcal disease

Robert G Hall
Med J Aust 2002; 176 (12): . || doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2002.tb04586.x
Published online: 17 June 2002

Rapid treatment of people believed to be infected, and chemoprophylaxis of all close contacts, are the essentials of both immediate and broader public health management of this disease

Although not common, invasive infection with Neisseria meningitidis can be devastating to affected patients and families, and, despite modern treatment, has a case-fatality risk of about 9%.1 In a small proportion of affected patients the disease runs a fulminant course, with death supervening in less than 12 hours. As a result, the disease is a cause of public alarm and receives intense media coverage.


  • Communicable Diseases Control, Department of Human Services, Adelaide, SA.


Correspondence: 

  • 1. Annual Report of the Australian Meningococcal Surveillance Programme. Commun Dis Intell 2001; 25: 113-121.
  • 2. National Health and Medical Research Council Guidelines for the control of meningococcal disease in Australia. Canberra: AGPS, 1996.
  • 3. Communicable Diseases Network Australia. Guidelines on the early clinical and public health management of meningococcal disease in Australia. Canberra: Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care, 2001.
  • 4. Communicable Diseases Network Australia. Guidelines on the early clinical and public health management of meningococcal disease in Australia. <http://www.health.gov.au/internet/wcms/publishing.nsf/Content/cda-pubs-other-mening.htm> (Accessed 30 August 2005).
  • 5. Death from invasive meningococcal disease following close contact with a case of primary meningococcal conjunctivitis — Langley, British Columbia, 1999. Can Commun Dis Rep 2001; 27: 13-18.
  • 6. Cartwright K, Strang J, Gossain S, Begg N. Early treatment of meningococcal disease [letter]. BMJ 1992; 305: 774.
  • 7. PHLS Meningococcal Infections Working Group and Public Health Medicine Environmental Group. Control of meningococcal disease: guidance for consultants in communicable disease control. Commun Dis Rep CDR Rev 1995; 5: R189-R195.
  • 8. Therapeutic guidelines: antibiotic. 11th ed. Melbourne: Therapeutic Guidelines Ltd, 2000.
  • 9. Porritt RJ, Mercer J, Munro R. Detection and serogroup determination of Neisseria meningitidis in CSF by polymerase chain reaction. Pathology 2000; 32: 42-45.
  • 10. Cartwright K. Meningococcal carriage and disease. In: Cartwright K, editor. Meningococcal disease. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons, 1995: 115-146.
  • 11. PHLS Meningococcal Infections Working Group and Public Health Medicine Environmental Group. Control of meningococcal disease: guidance for consultants in communicable disease control. Commun Dis Rep CDR Rev 1995; 5: R189-R195.

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