Question:
What is the drug of choice for mass chemoprophylaxis of meningococcal meningitis?
What is the drug of choice for mass chemoprophylaxis of meningococcal meningitis?
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Rifampicin clears nasopharyngeal carriage - the prophylactic drug of choice.
Updated On: Jun 23, 2026
- Rifampicin
- Chloramphenicol
- Tetracycline
- Penicillin
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The Correct Option is A
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Identify the prophylactic agent. For high-risk close contacts of a meningococcal meningitis case, the recommended chemoprophylaxis is Rifampicin, so option (a) is correct.
Step 2: Dosing recall. Rifampicin is given orally every 12 hours for 2 days - 5 mg/kg in infants under 1 month and 10 mg/kg in those over 1 month. It is not recommended in pregnancy.
Step 3: Know the alternatives. Ceftriaxone (125 mg IM under 15 years, 250 mg IM over 15 years, single dose) and ciprofloxacin (500 mg oral single dose for those over 18 years) are accepted alternative regimens.
Step 4: Why distractors are wrong. Chloramphenicol, tetracycline and penicillin are used in treatment settings or other contexts, but they are not the standard mass chemoprophylactic agent for meningococcal disease, where rifampicin is preferred.
Step 2: Dosing recall. Rifampicin is given orally every 12 hours for 2 days - 5 mg/kg in infants under 1 month and 10 mg/kg in those over 1 month. It is not recommended in pregnancy.
Step 3: Know the alternatives. Ceftriaxone (125 mg IM under 15 years, 250 mg IM over 15 years, single dose) and ciprofloxacin (500 mg oral single dose for those over 18 years) are accepted alternative regimens.
Step 4: Why distractors are wrong. Chloramphenicol, tetracycline and penicillin are used in treatment settings or other contexts, but they are not the standard mass chemoprophylactic agent for meningococcal disease, where rifampicin is preferred.
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