Missouriwatcher
Editor, Senior Moderator
Neisseria meningitidis is a leading cause of bacterial meningitis and sepsis. The case-fatality rate for meningococcal disease is 10%--14%; survivors can experience brain damage, hearing loss, limb loss, and learning disabilities. On December 11, 2009, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) initiated an investigation of two secondary cases of meningococcal disease in a police officer and a respiratory therapist following occupational contact with an unconscious adult. This report describes the events surrounding occupational transmission of N. meningitidis and recommends measures to control and prevent secondary transmission of N. meningitidis...
A total of 23 workers, including four police officers, three firefighters, two paramedics, and 14 health-care workers, were involved in the index patient's care. Among the 23 workers, 10 were reported to have been ≤3 feet from the patient while providing care. Among these, PO1 wore only gloves, two firefighters and two paramedics donned N95 respirators, and one of five hospital health-care workers wore a surgical mask. Lack of PPE availability in the field and lack of knowledge regarding where respirators and surgical masks were located in the ED were cited as two reasons why appropriate PPE was not worn by health-care workers...
Findings from this investigation indicate that breaches in infection control and delays in notification to the local health authority, worker exposure assessment, and PEP administration likely contributed to secondary cases of meningococcal disease...
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5945a2.htm?s_cid=mm5945a2_e
A total of 23 workers, including four police officers, three firefighters, two paramedics, and 14 health-care workers, were involved in the index patient's care. Among the 23 workers, 10 were reported to have been ≤3 feet from the patient while providing care. Among these, PO1 wore only gloves, two firefighters and two paramedics donned N95 respirators, and one of five hospital health-care workers wore a surgical mask. Lack of PPE availability in the field and lack of knowledge regarding where respirators and surgical masks were located in the ED were cited as two reasons why appropriate PPE was not worn by health-care workers...
Findings from this investigation indicate that breaches in infection control and delays in notification to the local health authority, worker exposure assessment, and PEP administration likely contributed to secondary cases of meningococcal disease...
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5945a2.htm?s_cid=mm5945a2_e