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The Disease Meningococcal disease is a potentially life-threatening infection caused by the bacterium Neisseria meningitidis. It affects 1,400 to 2,800 persons in the United States annually. Invasive meningococcal disease occurs in 3 common clinical forms: meningitis (49% of cases), blood infection (33%) and pneumonia (9%); other forms account for the remainder (9%) of the cases. Onset of the disease can be abrupt and the disease course can be rapid. About 10-14% of cases of meningococcal disease are fatal. Of those who do survive, 11-19% have permenant afteraffects including, hearing loss or deafness, neurologic deficit, or limb loss. Meningococci
are carried only by humans in the nasopharynx—their only reservoir.
Overall 5%-10% of the population carries the bacteria, adolescents and
young adults have the highest carriage rates. Few carriers develop the
disease. Transmission
occurs when close, face-to-face contact permits the exchange of salivary
secretions from people who are ill or are carriers and by droplet aerosolization In
the United States, almost all cases are caused by serogroups B, C and
Y; there is currently no licensed vaccine that protects against Serogroup
B in the United States. Due to the introduction and widespread use of
Hemophilus influenzae type b and Streptococcus pneumoniae conjugated vaccines,
invasive disease due to these agents has been markedly reduced. Widespread
conjugate meningococcal vaccination should decrease the risk of meningococcal
disease in adolescents and adults. U.S.
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES |