Meningitis: Children of smokers are at high risk

The World Health Organization estimates that the annual global mortality due to tobacco is approximately 8 million people, one tenth of whom results from exposure of non-smokers to passive smoking. The risk of infection is aggravated by exposure to active and passive smoking, which impairs cellular immunity (phagocytic capacity of neutrophils, cytotoxic action of natural killer cells, etc.) and molecular immunity (reduction in the production of secretory immunoglobulin A, etc.). According to studies, smoking increases the risk of meningococcal meningitis.

Cerebrospinal meningitis results from contamination of the meninges by germs (meningococci) which enter the body at the throat level following inter-human contamination.

Passive coating of oral epithelial cells by cigarette smoke components facilitates the binding of potentially pathogenic bacteria, including those responsible for meningitis. A systematic review by Murray et al. published in BMC Public Health[1]-[2] showed that passive smoking in the home significantly increases the risk of meningococcal disease in young children and that exposure of unborn children and newborns to maternal smoking also increases the risk of meningococcal infection in infants.

Thus, children who are exposed to parental smoking run a risk multiplied by two of developing meningitis, a risk which is higher in children under 5 years old (risk x 2.5) and even higher (x 3) in the case of maternal smoking during pregnancy.[3].

In addition, exposure to passive smoking could also double mortality in young patients with meningococcal meningitis.