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Neisseria meningitidis pp 1–20Cite as

Neisseria meningitidis: Biology, Microbiology, and Epidemiology

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Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 799))

Abstract

Neisseria meningitidis (the meningococcus) causes significant morbidity and mortality in children and young adults worldwide through epidemic or sporadic meningitis and/or septicemia. In this review, we describe the biology, microbiology, and epidemiology of this exclusive human pathogen. N.meningitidis is a fastidious, encapsulated, aerobic gram-negative diplococcus. Colonies are positive by the oxidase test and most strains utilize maltose. The phenotypic classification of meningococci, based on structural differences in capsular polysaccharide, lipooligosaccharide (LOS) and outer membrane proteins, is now complemented by genome sequence typing (ST). The epidemiological profile of N. meningitidis is variable in different populations and over time and virulence of the meningococcus is based on a transformable/plastic genome and expression of certain capsular polysaccharides (serogroups A, B, C, W-135, Y and X) and non-capsular antigens. N. meningitidis colonizes mucosal surfaces using a multifactorial process involving pili, twitching motility, LOS, opacity associated, and other surface proteins. Certain clonal groups have an increased capacity to gain access to the blood, evade innate immune responses, multiply, and cause systemic disease. Although new vaccines hold great promise, meningococcal infection continues to be reported in both developed and developing countries, where universal vaccine coverage is absent and antibiotic resistance increasingly more common.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Lane Pucko for her help in preparing this review. Research is supported by NIH/NIAID grants (R01 AI33517 and R01 AI40247) to D.S.S. and “Atlanta Clinical and Translational Science Institute” (UL1RR025008; KL2FF025009; TL1RR025010) and Georgia Research Alliance (GRA.VAC.09.K) grants to N.G.R. and D.S.S.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Nadine G. Rouphael & David S. Stephens

  2. Laboratories of Microbial Pathogenesis, Atlanta, VA Medical Center, Decatur, GA, USA

    David S. Stephens

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  1. Nadine G. Rouphael
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  2. David S. Stephens
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Correspondence to David S. Stephens .

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  1. Medical School, Molecular Microbiology and Infection, University of Southampton, Tremona Road, Southampton, SO16 6YD, Hampshire, United Kingdom

    Myron Christodoulides

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Rouphael, N.G., Stephens, D.S. (2012). Neisseria meningitidis: Biology, Microbiology, and Epidemiology. In: Christodoulides, M. (eds) Neisseria meningitidis. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 799. Humana, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-61779-346-2_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-61779-346-2_1

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