Meningococcal Disease.

Neisseria meningitidis is the bacterium that causes meningococcal disease, one of the leading sources of community-acquired sepsis and meningitis among children. Both sporadic and epidemic disease can occur, and a large number of individuals can become infected within a short period of time. The manner by which meningococcal disease strikes previously healthy individuals, with a rapid progressive illness and even death, has made this a disease of public health concern. In this article, we review the basic microbiology, epidemiology, clinical presentation, treatment, and prevention of meningococcal disease.