Clinical Problem-Solving: Prevention of Meningococcal Infection

To the Editor: I wish to take issue with a comment in the Clinical Problem-Solving article that appeared in the September 2 issue. 1 The case described was one of fulminating meningococcal septicemia. The discussant commented that the fellow travelers on the patient's flight back from Mexico “need immediate follow-up and prophylaxis if they had close contact with the patient.” In the United Kingdom we have to deal with a good deal of hysteria among the general public about meningococcal disease, and our recommendations would certainly not involve follow-up and prophylaxis in the event of contact as described here, unless the . . .