INSERM Calls For Group B Meningitis Offensive

The French National Institute for Health and Medical Research, INSERM, has said that the major challenge which must be overcome in confronting meningitis is the development of a vaccine against Neisseria meningitidis of group B, the organism which is behind the current outbreak of the disease in universities in the UK, and which is the leading cause of meningococcal meningitis in Europe.

INSERM makes these assertions in a just-published, detailed report on bacterial forms of meningitis and strategies for treatment and prevention. The report was compiled by a multidisciplinary group of research scientists and doctors, at the request of the MGEN health fund, in order to help define its reimbursement policy for vaccines.

According to the latest figures, France had a total of just over 1,000 cases of meningitis in 1994, with a mortality rate of around 10%. The study notes that meningitis is a major source of public concern, despite advances in the use of antibiotic therapy to treat the disease. INSERM believes that it is necessary to try and reduce the drama associated with bacterial meningitis, especially as epidemics generally only occur with N meningitidis. Lumbar puncture, the main key to diagnosis, is a simple procedure with minimal risk.