Neisseria meningitidis
From IDWiki
Background
Microbiology
- Gram-negative diplococcus
- Traditionally organized by serogroups of capsular polysaccharide
- A, B, C, E, H, I/K, L/ W, X, Y, and Z are confirmed genetically
Epidemiology
- Six serogroups cause essentially all disease: A, B, C, W, X, and Y
- In Canada, serogroups B, C, W-135 and Y are the most common causes, with B being the most commonly reported
- Historically, B caused the majority of sporadic cases, and virulent serogroup C caused the majority of outbreaks
