Intimate Kissing May Contribute to Increse risk for Meningococcal meningitis
According to the results of a prospective, population-based study reported in the February 2006 10 Online First issue of the BMJ., it writes that intimate kissing is a risk factor for meningococcal meningitis in adolescents.
“Adolescence is a period of biopsychosocial maturation during which the adoption of potentially risky behaviors may produce a distinct risk profile,” write Joanna Tully, MD, from the University of London, United Kingdom, and colleagues. “Studies have found living in college dormitories, patronage of campus bars, and active smoking to be risk factors. Other factors relevant to teenagers may include infection with Epstein-Barr virus, behaviors such as deep kissing, and substance misuse.”
From January 1999 to June 2000, 144 adolescents, age 15 to 19 years, with meningococcal disease were recruited at hospital admission in 6 regions representing 65% of the population of England, and 144 controls recruited from the general practitioner were matched to the cases for age and sex. Blood samples and prenasal and throat swabs were taken from case patients at admission and from cases and control patients at the time of the confidential interview regarding potential risk factors.
Of the 144 case-control pairs, 74 (51%) were male; median age was 17.6; and 114 cases (79%) were confirmed microbiologically. Significant independent risk factors for meningococcal disease were history of preceding illness (matched odds ratio [OR], 2.9; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.4 - 5.9), intimate kissing with multiple partners (OR, 3.7; 95% CI, 1.7 - 8.1), being a university student (OR, 3.4; 95% CI, 1.2 - 10), and preterm birth (OR, 3.7; 95% CI, 1.0 - 13.5). Protective factors were religious observance (OR, 0.09; 95% CI, 0.02 - 0.6) and meningococcal vaccination (OR, 0.12; 95% CI, 0.04 - 0.4).
Study limitations were the biases common to case-control studies, including selection and recall biases and confounding; and exclusion
of the few cases that died. “Activities and events increasing risk for meningococcal disease in adolescence are different from in childhood,” the authors write. “Altering personal behaviors could moderate the risk. However, the development of further effective meningococcal vaccines remains a key public health priority.”
Laurie Barclay Medscape Medical News 2006
