Neisseria meningitidis: a silent killer?

Infections caused by Neisseria meningitidis represent one of the most important health problems worldwide. Approximately 10% of the population are asymptomatic carriers of this bacterium. Pharyngitis is observed in noninvasive types of infection. The most serious form of infection caused by meningococci is the development of an invasive type of disease, that is meningitis or sepsis. In developed countries, the incidence is one to three out of 100 000, and in developing countries it is 10 to 25 out of 100 000 of inhabitants. It is known that 90% of cases are because of serogroups A, B, C, Y and W135; in Africa and Asia serogroup A dominates, and in Europe and North America serogroups B, C, Y and W135 occasionally are more prominent. This review provides information about the morphology, cultivation, taxonomy, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, laboratory diagnosis and therapy for this infection.
Source: Reviews in Medical Microbiology - Category: Microbiology Tags: Bacteriology Source Type: research