Health Professionals

Clinical Updates

10th February 2005

Meningococcal meningitis in China

An outbreak of meningococcal meningitis has been reported by the Chinese Ministry of Health according to various Chinese press reports published in January and February of 2005. (1-3) During January 2005, 258 cases including 16 deaths have been reported nationwide; this represents an increase of 94 cases on the same period in 2004.

The most affected region has been Anhui province, in eastern China, where 62 cases including six deaths were reported between 20 December 2004 and 30 January 2005. Seventy-seven per cent of cases occurred in students between the ages of 13 and 18 years. (2) Other provinces most affected include Henan, Hebei, Jiangsu, and Xichuan. Tibet, Hainan and Fujian provinces and the cities of Zhongqin, Shanghai, Beijing and Tienjing have not been reported to be affected (3).

In previous outbreaks, the organism responsible for meningococcal meningitis reported from this region in China has been Neisseria meningitis serogroup A. However serogroup C has been reported to be responsible for the current outbreak.

The Ministry of Health in China has urged all health authorities to improve their surveillance and reporting of meningococcal cases and to respond with prompt diagnosis and treatment. Vaccines have been distributed to affected areas and a public awareness campaign has been put in place.

In view of the apparent increase in the number of reported cases in a number of provinces, and until further information is available, those travelling to affected areas who will be visiting friends and family, or who will be working or living in close contact with the local population , should consider vaccination with the quadrivalent meningococcal meningitis ACWY vaccine.

At the present time there have been no reports of an increased number of cases of meningococcal meningitis in Hong Kong.

Further information about meningococcal meningitis can be found at here.

References

Links

http://www.info.gov.hk/