Meningococcal Meningitis Cluster Outbreak in a Junior High School－Taipei County, Taiwan, 2008

Yong-Chao Lei1, Hsiao-Wei Yang2, Yu-Mei Lee1, Shu-Chouan Chuang1,Shih-Hao Liu1, Chih-Ming Wang2, Shu-Man Yao3, Chuen-Sheue Chiang3

2010 Vol.26 NO.10

Correspondence Author： Yong-Chao Lei

Abstract：

Abstract

Meningococcal meningitis is an acute bacterial infectious disease with severe sequelae and high mortality. The morbidity of this disease is low in Taiwan and most cases were sporadic. One junior high school student was reported in March, 2008 and later confirmed. In retrospective investigation and follow-up monitoring, another 4 cases were confirmed. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis examination also revealed identical genotyping of bacterial strains isolated from these patients. This was a rare cluster outbreak of meningococcal meningitis occurred at school campus in recent years in Taiwan.
Two runs of mass chemoprophylaxis had been administered in school for disease control. This report discussed the effectiveness and adverse drug reaction of prophylaxis of this disease. Furthermore, crowding environment may be an important factor in this outbreak and, thus, environmental improvement was proceeding in this school to prevent further infection of meningococcal meningitis or other respiratory diseases.