Topic Overview
Meningitis caused by Neisseria meningitidis is sometimes referred to as
meningococcal disease.
Some people have Neisseria meningitidis in their throats without getting sick. But they can pass it
to another person, who may get sick.
Neisseria meningitidis
causes 60% of bacterial meningitis in people between the ages of 2 and 20. It
is the source of meningitis in about 25% of the people who get the illness
every year in the United States.1
Neisseria meningitidis also can cause
outbreaks of meningitis. Outbreaks are most common
outside the U.S.
If you are planning foreign travel, particularly to sub-Saharan
Africa, talk with a doctor about getting the
Neisseria meningitidis vaccine. Small outbreaks occur
every year in the U.S.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all adolescents get 2 doses of meningococcal conjugate vaccine.2 The vaccine protects against
certain strains of Neisseria meningitidis. For more information, see the topic Immunizations.
People who have contact with someone with a Neisseria meningitidis infection may need to take a course of antibiotics to prevent the infection from spreading.
References
Citations
- Roos KL, Tyler KL (2012). Meningitis, encephalitis,
brain abscess, and empyema. In DL Longo et al., eds., Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 18th ed., vol. 2,
pp. 3410–3434. New York: McGraw-Hill.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2011). Updated recommendations for use of meningococcal conjugate vaccines: Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), 2010. MMWR, 60(03): 72–76. Also available online: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6003a3.htm?s_cid=mm6003a3_e&source=govdelivery.
Credits
| By | Healthwise Staff |
|---|
| Primary Medical Reviewer | E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine |
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| Specialist Medical Reviewer | W. David Colby IV, MSc, MD, FRCPC - Infectious Disease |
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| Last Revised | March 22, 2011 |
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Last Revised:
March 22, 2011
Roos KL, Tyler KL (2012). Meningitis, encephalitis,
brain abscess, and empyema. In DL Longo et al., eds., Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 18th ed., vol. 2,
pp. 3410–3434. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2011). Updated recommendations for use of meningococcal conjugate vaccines: Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), 2010. MMWR, 60(03): 72–76. Also available online: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6003a3.htm?s_cid=mm6003a3_e&source=govdelivery.