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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 10 Hansard (Thursday, 26 August 2004) . . Page.. 4483 ..

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Information and chemoprophylaxis

Information only

Child-care facilities

Children and staff in the same room for 4 hours or more at on time in the 7 days prior to the onset of the cases illness

All other children and staff at the facility

Education facilities

Very close contacts (essentially those who have been ‘household-like’ contacts)

All other students in the same classroom (schools) or tutorial groups (universities)

Those who have shared saliva with case (via mouth kissing, drink-bottles, bongs, etc)

All

Even though they may not have shared saliva with a case, other members of any sporting team which include a case should be given information

Those exposed to a case after the onset of symptoms

Very close household-like contacts; health carers who have either intubated the case without a face mask or done mouth to mouth resuscitation

All others concerned that they may have had contact with the case after the onset of symptoms

Table: Public health responses in defined settings in which a case of invasive meningococcal disease has occurred (Communicable Diseases Network Australia, 2001:23).

iii) Public Health Response – A Summary

Immediate public health action to prevent the spread of the infection is taken in every notified case in accordance with the latest public health guidelines on control of meningococcal disease. Public health action when there is a notification of a probable or confirmed case of meningococcal disease includes:

- Determining the cases network of close contacts by interviewing the case, and/or the case’s parents/carers, school principal, relevant teachers and/or employers;

- Interviewing close contacts identified by the above to determine whether they meet the criteria for chemoprophylaxis (i.e. specific antibiotic) and then to recommend and facilitate chemoprophylaxis as required;

- Providing information to the network of contacts, or to the responsible guardians of young children in the network, about the disease and how it is spread;

- Providing information to those who have had brief or inconsequential contact with the case;

- Providing a telephone information service for members of the public to call and discuss their concerns with a public health officer;

- Maintaining surveillance for any subsequent cases; and

- Making any necessary public announcements.

iv) Rationale for chemoprophylaxis

The rationale for chemoprophylaxis is to eliminate meningococci from any carrier within the network of close contacts thereby reducing the risk to other susceptible individuals in the network developing meningococcal disease (Communicable Diseases Network Australia, 2001:20).

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