Assessment of the risk of transmission of N meningitidis in a classroom setting.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the risk of colonisation with N meningitidis among university classroom contacts of a student with invasive meningococcal disease.


METHODS
Throat cultures were obtained from classmates and faculty exposed to a university student with meningococcal disease. Exposures to the index case were quantified using a questionnaire.


RESULTS
None of the 41 students and staff from whom cultures were obtained showed evidence of colonisation with N meningitidis. The contacts had spent an average of 13.5 h in class with the index case during the 2 days prior to the onset of her illness.


CONCLUSIONS
The risk of colonisation with N meningitidis among casual university classroom contacts appears to be low. This study lends support to decisions to withhold chemoprophylaxis in most instances of such contact.
Eberhart-Phillips
J
J
Health Communicable Disease Centre, Porirua.
Malcolm
M
M
Bandaranayake
D
D
Bates
M
M
D000328:Adult; D002353:Carrier State; D016358:Contact Tracing / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008589:Meningococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission*; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014495:Universities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data