Meningitis Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Meningitis, including details on viral, bacterial, spinal, symptoms, treatment.

Epidemic meningitis, meningococcaemia, and Neisseria meningitidis.

Stephens DS, Greenwood B, Brandtzaeg P

Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA. dstep01@emory.edu

Meningococcus, an obligate human bacterial pathogen, remains a worldwide and devastating cause of epidemic meningitis and sepsis. However, advances have been made in our understanding of meningococcal biology and pathogenesis, global epidemiology, transmission and carriage, host susceptibility, pathophysiology, and clinical presentations. Approaches to diagnosis, treatment, and chemoprophylaxis are now in use on the basis of these advances. Importantly, the next generation of meningococcal conjugate vaccines for serogroups A, C, Y, W-135, and broadly effective serogroup B vaccines are on the horizon, which could eliminate the organism as a major threat to human health in industrialised countries in the next decade. The crucial challenge will be effective introduction of new meningococcal vaccines into developing countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, where they are urgently needed.

Published 2 July 2007 in Lancet, 369(9580): 2196-210.
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