Practical guidelines for responding to an outbreak of meningococcal disease among university students based on experience in Southampton.

Six students at the University of Southampton developed meningococcal disease in October 1997, five of them with confirmed serogroup C infections, and three died. The outbreak had major organisational and financial implications for the agencies involved. Detailed planning and good working relationships with the management of higher educational institutions can prove invaluable in such situations. This paper summarises the management of the outbreak in Southampton and presents recommendations based on our experience.