MENINGOCOCCAL DISEASE EPIDEMIOLOGY AND CONTROL IN NEW-ZEALAND

New Zealand has a high quality surveillance system for meningococcal d isease that successfully integrates notification and laboratory data. Since 1991, New Zealand has had elevated incidence rates of meningococ cal disease rising to 6.2 per 100 000 population in 1994. This represe nts a rate that is four times that recorded in 1989/90. Serogroup B in fection predominates and international experience suggests that these elevated rates may continue for 5 to 15 years. Rates of meningococcal disease in Maori and Pacific Islands populations were three times high er than in Europeans at 10.0 and 12.3 per 100 000 respectively in 1994 . The rates were particularly high for infants with the rate in Maori infants under 1 year reaching 120 per 100 000. The case fatality rate at 5.3% for 1994 would appear to be relatively low by international st andards. Case control studies could be used to investigate potentially modifiable primary risk factors for disease. Intensive case review st udies to investigate the role of such factors as preadmission antibiot ics in reducing severe outcomes may be of benefit. The Ministry of Hea lth or research funding organisations should consider the potential va lue of such studies in more detail.