Neisseria meningitidis

Meningococcal septicaemia and meningitis are the most common presentations of invasive meningococcal disease with an average case fatality rate of 10%, although arthritis and pericarditis can also occur. Early antibiotic therapy is strongly recommended, but this decreases the success of conventional diagnostic methodologies, i.e. culture. Culturing should however still be performed as it allows for the monitoring of changes in antimicrobial susceptibility. Molecular detection methods have allowed accurate, rapid diagnosis which enhances patient care and the initiation of public health action among contacts. The increased sensitivity offered by molecular detection and the ability to detect non-viable organisms may be responsible for increasing the diagnosis of laboratory confirmed cases of meningococcal disease by more than 30% [1]. Meningococcal DNA in CSF samples has been detected up to 72 h after commencement of antimicrobial treatment [1].