"Meningococcal infections" : enhanced understanding of pathogenesis leading to novel approaches in therapy and prevention

Neisseria meningitidis forms the most common cause of bacterial meningitis in the Western World since the eradication of infection by Haemophilus influenza type b (Hib) through vaccination. In addition N. meningitidis is a major cause of sepsis frequently resulting in death or disability. Various factors contribute to the continuing interest for meningococcal disease by health care professionals and the general public. The rapid progression of a substantial number of meningococcal infections, with high mortality and morbidity in previously healthy, young children and adolescents attracts attention from the media, which has also been a driving force in countries such as the Netherlands and Britain to increase the efforts to treat and prevent these diseases. Outbreaks and epidemics of menin~ococcal disease occur throughout the world. In the Netherlands, the number of patients with infection by Neisseria meningitidis has increased from 175 cases in the beginning of the 1980s to 600 cases in 1999. In the Netherlands, each year approximately 45 children and adults die as a result of meningococcal infection (Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek).

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