Chemoprophylaxis may be overused in meningococcal disease

Chemoprophylaxis may be overused in meningococcal disease

A study of meningococcal carriage in contacts of patients with meningococcal disease shows that kissing contacts and immediatehousehold members have a much higher risk (12.4%) of carryingthe pathogenic meningococcal strain than other contacts (two groups:1.6% and 1.9%). On p 621 Kristiansen et al question the practiceof mass antibiotic prophylaxis in the light of the low carriagerates in contacts outside the patient's household and kissingcontacts.

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Which contacts of patients with meningococcal disease carry the pathogenic strain of Neisseria meningitidis? A population based study: Bjørn-Erik Kristiansen, Yngvar Tveten, and Andrew Jenkins
BMJ 1998 317: 621-625. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]