Abstract
Meningococcal disease was first described in Europe as a characteristic outbreak in Geneva in 1805. Neisseria meningitidis (the meningococcus) is a Gram-negative diplococcus, divided into capsular groups determined by the polysaccharide capsule. Six of the twelve groups (A, B, C, W, X and Y) are responsible for almost all invasive diseases worldwide. While asymptomatic nasopharyngeal infection (colonisation or carriage) occurs in approximately 10% of the population, bacteria occasionally enter the bloodstream to cause devastating invasive diseases such as meningitis and septicaemia. In Europe it is typically a rare endemic disease, but hyperendemic and epidemic disease patterns also occur. Disease onset may be rapid and has a high case fatality rate, especially in those with septic shock. Many survivors suffer long-term neurological and non-neurological sequelae. Prevention of disease through vaccination is the only realistic prospect for disease control.
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Pollard, A.J., Snape, M.D., Sadarangani, M. (2017). Meningococcal Vaccines. In: Vesikari, T., Van Damme, P. (eds) Pediatric Vaccines and Vaccinations. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-59952-6_22
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-59952-6_22
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