Meningococcal Meningitis and Coal Mining in Provincial England: Geographical Perspectives on a Major Epidemic, 1929–33

This article presents the first systematic study of spatial transmission 1929–33 epidemic meningococcal meningitis and its association with local coal mining communities in three adjacent high incidence counties England; Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, West Riding Yorkshire. Drawing on a robust method epidemiological analysis (swash-backwash model), we demonstrate gradient response levels employment for each key parameters wave: velocity transmission; duration infectivity; reach. Partial least squares regression identifies relatively young fertile demographic as principal determinant resulting burden. Other sociodemographic parameters, including established risk factors invasive disease (low social class, residential density, overcrowding) are found to play little, or no, role distribution disease. Our findings have importance understanding historic links between industry meningitis, point possible present-day opportunities intervention through designation defined groups vaccines.