title: An outbreak of meningococcal disease in a secondary school--implications for public health practice.
abstract: This report describes briefly the management of three cases of meningococcal disease which all occurred within one week at a secondary school on the Central Coast of New South Wales in late winter 2003. The Central Coast health area has a population of approximately 300,000. Between 10 and 15 cases of meningococcal disease are notified to the Central Coast Public Health Unit each year. The three cases all presented to Gosford Hospital, Cases 1 and 2, both in Year 9, on Thursday 14 August 2003 and Case 3 in Year 8 on Friday 15 August 2003.
authors.affiliation: Central Coast Public Health Unit, Gosford, New South Wales. tmiles@doh.health.nsw.gov.au
authors.forename: Thaïs A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Miles
authors.forename: Peter R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: Lucy
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cook
authors.forename: Ken I
authors.initials: KI
authors.lastname: Bruderlin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003140:Communicable Disease Control / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003142:Communication; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D008589:Meningococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009517:New South Wales / Q000453:epidemiology; D010561:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling; D011635:Public Health Administration; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012572:School Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*