4.10 Secondhand smoke and increased risk of infectious disease
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Exposure to secondhand smoke has been shown to increase susceptibility to, and to worsen, respiratory infection in adults and children. Probable mechanisms include impairment of mucociliary clearance and reduced immune function.20, 55
An increased incidence of bacterial meningitis (caused by bacteria such as Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and Streptococcus pneumoniae) has been reported in children from smoking households in Australia.56 A number of recent studies have also found an association between the incidence of invasive meningococcal disease and exposure to secondhand smoke.57-60 Invasive meningococcal disease is an important cause of illness and death in children and young adults in Australia. Meningococcal disease occurs most commonly in individuals aged under 25, with peaks of incidence in those aged four and under and in teenagers aged between 15 and 19. In 2002, there were 684 notified cases of meningococcal disease, accounting for 48 deaths.61 Australian research59, 60 has shown that exposure to secondhand smoke is a risk factor for both children and young adults in contracting invasive meningococcal disease. The risk to young children whose primary caregiver is a smoker may be sixfold higher, due to increased infectiousness of smokers who carry the bacterial infection; in older teenagers, exposure to secondhand smoke may double the risk of infection.60
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