Sick scientist claims meningococcal 'cover-up'

A British scientist who contracted meningococcal disease in New Zealand thinks she was the victim of a cover-up, it was reported today.

Jeannette Adu-Bobie and her family believe she was infected during her work with meningococcal bacteria at an Environmental Science and Research (ESR) lab in Porirua, north of Wellington.

Ms Adu-Bobie, 31, became critically ill with meningococcal septicaemia in late March while on a study visit.

She lost both legs, an arm and some fingers on her remaining hand and is now recovering in a British hospital.

The new claim comes less than two weeks after Ms Adu-Bobie backed safety measures at the lab.

However, the Dominion Post reports that the scientist's mother, Gemma Adu-Bobie, who works for the United Nations in South Africa, said Ms Adu-Bobie could not pinpoint exactly how she contracted the disease.

"She thinks she got it from the lab -- where else? Why were her colleagues vaccinated after she left, if she didn't get it from the lab? Read between the lines."

Ms Adu-Bobie is employed by Chiron Vaccines, which makes the meningococcal B vaccine being used to immunise New Zealand children.

Chiron has accepted the results of investigations by ESR and Occupational Safety and Health which found that safety procedures were robust and there was no evidence the scientist was infected in the lab.

But Mrs Adu-Bobie told the paper that ESR had in her view treated her daughter "very, very badly".

Initial test results had shown Ms Adu-Bobie was affected by a different strain from the one she was working with in the lab, but later tests by ESR showed a strong correlation. More testing is under way.

Another family member said he was angry that ESR had said it was unlikely Ms Adu-Bobie was infected in the lab and there seemed to have been a cover-up.

"Genuinely, without any malice, when she came out of a coma, Jeannette said she got it from the lab, without a doubt. Of course she got it from the lab.

"What's the probability of someone who's over 21 to get meningococcal disease from the community in three weeks when she lives by herself?"

Last week, an OSH report released under the Official Information Act, said investigators had interviewed Ms Adu-Bobie on June 1, with her mother present.

Ms Adu-Bobie had said practices at the ESR lab were at a level expected of a research institute of its calibre. Some procedures were different to those at a lab where she had previously worked in Siena, Italy, however she believed there was "little, if any" risk of exposure to the disease that struck her, she said.

She described a process of wiping clear condensate from the lids of petri dishes, but said she used gloves and disinfecting tissues.

This was not a standard procedure for ESR, but the risk of meningococcal bacteria in the condensate was highly unlikely, the report said.

However, Ms Adu-Bobie's family said the OSH report had misrepresented her comments.

Mrs Adu-Bobie said her daughter was rushed into leaving New Zealand two weeks ago -- before she was medically ready to travel.

"I think the doctors were being pressured that we should leave immediately because they had found that the strain she was studying was the same as the one which was in her body."

OSH told the Dominion Post it stood by the report's accuracy.

Health and safety manager Mike Cosman said the scientist had read the draft report and advised of only one minor inaccuracy, which was changed.

Capital and Coast District Health Board chief operating officer Meng Cheong said the decision to transfer the scientist back to Britain was made by her insurance company, which paid for her treatment.

Mrs Adu-Bobie said her daughter had arranged insurance cover for up to 3 million euros ($5.4 million) before she came to New Zealand. She did not accept the insurance company was behind the move to discharge her daughter.

Mrs Adu-Bobie said family members were repeatedly told by ESR not to speak to the media.

ESR strongly rejected that claim, saying it had always respected the family's "emphatic request that they did not wish to be approached or speak to the media".

The crown research institute would not respond to Dominion Post questions about other comments made by family members, including the claim that other lab workers were vaccinated against meningococcal B after Ms Adu-Bobie was infected.

- NZPA