How can meningococcal disease be prevented?
Cigarette smoking, both active and passive, appears to increase the risk of a person developing meningococcal disease. This is yet another reason to stop smoking and to stop adults smoking near young children. There is a small, but real, risk for those who live in the same house as a person with meningococcal disease to also develop the disease. This is because the carrier who infected the patient is able to spread the germ to others. There is no accurate and quick test to identify the carrier so all of the ‘household contacts’ of the patient are regarded as potential carriers. Public health authorities attempt to get in touch with these household contacts to explain to them the nature of the disease and to dispense a short course of an antibiotic. The purpose of the antibiotic is to eliminate the germ from the nose or throat of the carrier. Cases of disease may occur despite taking the antibiotic so the contacts must also be told to look out for the symptoms of the disease. Sometimes
