Intimate kissing with multiple partners, attending college, and a history of preceding illness are independent risk factors for meningococcal disease in adolescents, a new research shows. However, religious observance and meningococcal vaccination are tied to reduced risks, according to a report in the British Medical Journal. Meningococcal disease — a bacterial infection of the fluid within the tissues surrounding the brain and spinal cord — is largely a disease affecting children younger than five years, although in recent years both the US and UK have seen rising rates among teens, say researchers at the University of London.
