'Crowded houses' breed meningitis

Children living with smokers are at increased risk of catching meningitis, but the danger is highest for those living in overcrowded conditions, health officials say.

The Observer newspaper in London this week reported research from Prague that suggested children living with parents who smoked were at least nine times more likely to catch meningitis.

An Auckland research project found that while smoking increased the risk, the degree of risk was most increased by crowding in the house.

Nicholas Jones, of Auckland Public Health, said the Prague figures were misleading.

Although they found children whose mothers smoked were five times more likely to contract the disease, and four times more likely if only their father smoked, it was not just a matter of adding the figures together, Dr Jones said.

A three-year study of meningococcal disease cases in South Auckland found social conditions fuelled the epidemic that killed one in 20 sufferers.

Since 1991, 150 people have died of meningococcal disease and many others have lost limbs or suffered serious scarring, hearing loss or neurological damage.

"The study proves that overcrowding is a major factor driving our very severe epidemic," said principal investigator Dr Michael Baker.

Dr Baker, an Environmental Science and Research public health physician, said one or two extra families in a household could increase the risk tenfold.

New Zealand has the highest meningitis rates of any developed country - 3300 cases have been reported since 1991 and over half have been children under five.

The disease can occur naturally in the throats of adolescents and adults and is passed by coughing or saliva, so children who live with lots of adolescents or adults are most at risk.

- NZPA