A cluster of meningococcal cases in Campbelltown

Abstract

F ifteen cases of meningococcal disease occurred in South Western Sydney Area Health Service (SWSAHS) in 1991. Figure 7 shows the distribution of cases by month, and Table 8 summarises the cases. Seven of these cases (six patients with meningitis and one with septicaemia) occurred between July 17 and August 3. Five of seven patients (cases 5,6,8, 10 and 11 of Table 8) were from the Campbelltown Local Government Area (LGA). All the cases from the Carnphelltown LGA were caused by Group C meningococcus. The incidence of meningococcal disease in NSW is about 1-2 cases/100,000 people per yeart. On the basis of this rate, we would expect two or three cases a year of meningococcal disease in the Campbelltown LGA, and 7-13 cases a year in the Area as a whole. While meningococcal disease occurs more commonly in winter and spring this clustering of cases in late July-early August was a cause of concern, particularly in light of reported outbreaks associated with Group C meningococcus in Western Australia and Queensland4. MENINGOCOCCAL DISEASE IN SW5AH5.

A cluster of meningococcal disease in western Sydney, Australia initially associated with a nightclub

“…Though serogroup A meningococci caused large outbreaks in indigenous communities in the past, the only recent epidemic occurred in the late 1980s in central Australia [1,2]. From the early 1990s clusters of serogroup C MD have been reported in both urban and rural communities [3][4][5][6][7][8]. However, most MD occurs sporadically with annual rates of about 2n1 per 100 000 population [9].…”