Table 2

High-risk: chemoprophylaxis recommended (close contact)

Household contact: especially young children

Child-care or nursery school contact during previous 7 days

Direct exposure to index patient’s secretions through kissing or sharing toothbrushes or eating utensils, which are markers of close social contact.

Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation or unprotected contact during endotracheal intubation during 7 days before onset of illness

Frequently sleeps or eats in same dwelling as index patient

Low-risk: chemoprophylaxis not recommended

Casual contact: no history of direct exposure to index patient’s oral secretions, e.g., school or work mate

Indirect contact: only contact is with a high-risk contact, no direct contact with the index patient

Healthcare personnel without direct exposure to patient’s oral secretions

In outbreak or cluster of disease

Chemoprophylaxis for persons other than those at high risk should be given only after consultation with the local public health authorities

* Nasopharyngeal aspirate and throat swab cultures are not useful for determining risk. Modified from American Academy of Pediatrics. Meningococcal infections. In Pickering LK, ed. 2000 Red Book: Report on the Committee on Infectious Diseases, 25th edition. Elk Grove Village, IL: American Academy of Pediatrics, 2000, p 396-401.



High-risk: chemoprophylaxis recommended (close contact)
		Household contact: especially young children
		Child-care or nursery school contact during previous 7 days
		Direct exposure to index patient’s secretions through kissing or sharing toothbrushes or eating utensils, which are markers of close social contact.
		Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation or unprotected contact during endotracheal intubation during 7 days before onset of illness
		Frequently sleeps or eats in same dwelling as index patient
Low-risk: chemoprophylaxis not recommended
		Casual contact: no history of direct exposure to index patient’s oral secretions, e.g., school or work mate
		Indirect contact: only contact is with a high-risk contact, no direct contact with the index patient
		Healthcare personnel without direct exposure to patient’s oral secretions
In outbreak or cluster of disease
		Chemoprophylaxis for persons other than those at high risk should be given only after consultation with the local public health authorities

	* Nasopharyngeal aspirate and throat swab cultures are not useful for determining risk. Modified from American Academy of Pediatrics. Meningococcal infections. In Pickering LK, ed. 2000 Red Book: Report on the Committee on Infectious Diseases, 25th edition. Elk Grove Village, IL: American Academy of Pediatrics, 2000, p 396-401.