Meningitis alert over lollies, lip-gloss

By BRIDGET CARTER and NZPA

Sharing lollipops and gobstoppers may be contributing to growing rates of meningitis in young people, health authorities believe.

The sweets are being swapped or passed around, part-sucked, by adolescents.

The practice was identified among boarders at St Joseph's Maori Girls' College, in Napier.

It was stopped days before one of the girls was admitted to hospital with meningitis last month.

Sharing lip-gloss is another common practice being discouraged to minimise the spread of diseases.

The girl, who became ill on the last day of the first term, was admitted to hospital in Wellington.

There have been no further meningitis cases at the school.

Principal Georgina Kingi said she was amazed at how quickly health authorities had alerted the families of boarders throughout the country during the holidays so steps could be taken to prevent spreading the disease.

Meningococcal disease is a bacterial infection, present but dormant in the throats of about 10 per cent of the population any given time.

The bacteria live in the back of the nose and throat and are spread by coughing, sneezing and kissing, and sharing food and drink.

They cause meningitis and septicaemia, but health authorities do not know what the trigger is.

They say St Joseph's and another school where a younger girl died of meningitis last week are not under scrutiny, as meningitis can occur anywhere.

New Zealand has had a serious epidemic of meningococcal disease for the past 10 years.

Since 1991, the epidemic has infected 3687 people, killing 163.

Health officials have a preferred vaccine to fight the disease's B-strain and are awaiting Government approval.

But it could still be two years before the vaccine is widely used, because of the time needed for its mass production, and the need for careful testing with children.

The Hawkes Bay acting communicable diseases control co-ordinator, Maureen Grapes, said children and young adults were at greatest risk.

Symptoms can appear similar to the flu, but quickly worsen, and authorities say immediate medical advice should be sought.

Treatment with antibiotics is possible in the early stages, and people who have been in close contact with a meningitis sufferer should also seek immediate medical advice.

Auckland public health physician Greg Simmons said that sharing drinks was in the same category as sharing food - "a no-no as far as we are concerned."

Meningitis could be spread through saliva.

The biggest risk occurred where many adults and children lived together, and in winter, when people spent more time in cramped conditions.

Papatoetoe High School nurse Pat Hamill said there had been no cases at the school, but signs had been posted advising students not to share food or drink.