Latest data 1.1. Significance of these data 2.1. The number of cases reported to the PHLS Meningococcus Reference Unit last week was 45, compared with 48 in the same week of 1999.
Meningococcal disease is an infectious disease that peaks during winter.
Meningococci are bacteria that usually live in the nose or back of the throat of people without harming them. It is not known why some people develop meningococcal disease while most people are unaffected. Nor is it known why meningococcal disease is more common in winter than in summer. Young children and teenagers are at greatest risk of developing meningococcal disease. This fall is due in part to increased awareness of meningococcal disease, and because patients are more likely to have been treated with antibiotics before they are admitted to hospital.