An expert group set up to investigate a meningitis outbreak in south Wales in which three people have died is about to meet for the first time. The full terms of reference for the group, to be chaired by Professor Ian Cameron, provost and vice chancellor of the University of Wales, were still being finalised this week.
It is understood that the team may look at possible ways to reduce public anxiety and to increase understanding of preventive measures. "The terms of reference will be very wide, and we will look at what happened and see what we can learn," Professor Cameron told the BMJ. He added: "We will not only look at medical technicalities. We will look at some stage at the national guidelines, and we will discuss how we prevent fear and panic and ensure people have a better understanding of the risks.
"Some people, for example, said that they were not going to go to the cinema near Pontypridd because of the outbreak—they were going to drive down the motorway to Cardiff. In fact, driving on the motorway was a more dangerous choice."
A dozen cases of meningococcal meningitis have been reported this month in an area of the south Wales valleys centred on Pontypridd. Three people, including a school teacher, have died, and around 3000 children at various schools have been immunised against meningitis C.
Teams of doctors and nurses from neighbouring NHS trusts were drafted in for the mass vaccination operation, and vaccines were brought in from other regions. Bro Taf Health Authority has come in for criticism locally that it did not act quickly to declare a health emergency, but it has strongly defended its actions.
It said in a statement: "We believe that the response of the health authority was both prompt and appropriate. The first case occurred at Coedylan Upper Comprehensive School on January 31. All intimate contacts of the case were immediately given antibiotics. As this was a single case no antibiotics were issued to pupils and staff at the time. Because the vast majority of incidents of meningitis of septicaemia involve only a single case, this is the routine practice that is followed in all parts of the country. Two more pupils from the school became ill on February 6 and the Outbreak Control team met immediately. All pupils and staff had been given antibiotics by February 7.''
It is the point at which immunisation programmes are triggered—in terms of the numbers of people affected—that is likely to be among the issues that the Cameron inquiry team will look at.
The team—which will include representatives from GPs, the Public Health Laboratory Service and Education, as well as the National Meningitis Trust and the Meningitis Research Foundation—was set up by Welsh health minister, John Owen Jones.
