§ Mr. SpearingTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what epidemiological investigations have been made into possible common factors relating to outbreaks, as published in the monitor MB2 series of the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys, of meningitis of(a) group B and (b) group C. [8196]
§ Mr. HoramInvestigation of outbreaks of meningococcal disease is the responsibility of the local consultant in communicable disease control in each health district. It is standard practice for the CCDC to look for links between cases, such as attendance at the same college, school or nursery. In some outbreaks, nose and/or throat swabs are taken from close contacts of cases before antibiotics are given. Where a high carriage rate of the organism causing the disease has been observed, this may be the reason for the outbreak. Highest carriage rates are typically seen in teenage children.
A number of studies have been carried out in the United Kingdom to determine factors associated with increased 73W risk of meningococcal disease. In these studies three possible risk factors have been identified: passive smoking, close contact and recent influenza infection.