Many are arranged in pairs with a flat adjacent surface. Meningococcal disease is a rare, but very serious illness caused by a type of bacteria called neisseria meningitidis. Neisseria cells may have a capsule and pili, but no endospores and flagella. Meningococcemia is a rare infection caused by the neisseria meningitidis bacteria. While the meningococcus and gonococcus have been widely studied, far less attention has been paid to other neisseria species. Illness believed to be meningococcal disease was first reported in the 16th century. Pathogenic bacteria have evolved numerous mechanisms to evade the human immune system and have developed widespread resistance to traditional antibiotics. Neisseria meningitidis haemophilus influenzae streptococcus pneumoniae streptococcus pyogenes group a strep. The genus neisseria contains the important pathogens neisseria meningitidis and neisseria gonorrhoeae. A enteric bacteria crossreactive with neisseria meningitidis groups a and c and diplococcus pneumoniae types i and iii. Neisseria meningitidis is a bacterium that infects humans exclusively. During periods of endemic disease, about 10 % of the general population harbour neisseria meningitidis in the nasopharynx.
Meningococcal meningitis is an acute form of bacterial meningitis caused by neisseria meningitidis. Bacteria are responsible for the sexually transmitted disease gonorrhea. Immunology and vaccinepreventable diseases pink book. The fact that this bacteria is gram negative means that there is very little or no peptidoglycan in the cell wall. Sometimes the bacteria invade the body and cause certain illnesses, which are known as meningococcal disease. It is a serious condition that can be life threatening. Neisseria meningitidis the meningococcus causes significant morbidity and mortality in children and young adults worldwide through epidemic or sporadic meningitis andor septicemia. Pdf neisseria meningitidis is hosted only by humans and colonizes the. Interaction complement neisseria meningitidis neisseria.
Infection with neisseria meningitidis can produce a variety of clinical manifestations, ranging from transient fever and bacteremia to fulminant disease with death ensuing within hours of the onset of clinical symptoms. Meningitidis is described as a gramnegative diplococci. Neisseria meningitidis meningococcus infectious disease a grampositive coccus which is part of the normal nasopharyngeal flora. Neisseria meningitidis to functional significance of factor h binding. Enteric bacteria crossreactive with neisseria infection and. Gramnegative bacteria that can be used for diverse. It causes the sexually transmitted genitourinary infection gonorrhea as well as other forms of gonococcal disease including disseminated gonococcemia, septic arthritis, and gonococcal ophthalmia neonatorum. Neisseria meningitidis is a gramnegative diplococcus bacterium that is responsible for endemic and epidemic meningococcal meningitis and fulminant meningococcemia munford 2001.
Neisseria meningitidis st11 complex isolates associated. Bacteria may be located intracellularly or extracellularly in. Neisseria gonorrhoeae, also known as gonococcus, is a species of gramnegative coffee beanshaped diplococci that typically appear in pairs with the opposing sides flattened. Meningococcal disease 14 meningococcal disease is an acute, potentially severe illness caused by the bacterium. At a clinic in indianapolis, indiana, usa, we observed an increase in neisseria gonorrhoeaenegative men with suspected gonococcal urethritis who had urethral cultures positive for n. Bacteria called neisseria meningitidis cause meningococcal disease. The first definitive description of the disease was by vieusseux in switzerland in 1805. Neisseria are less nutritiondemanding aerobic bacteria that can grow easily on agar medium. We found that bacteria attached to host epithelial cells are resistant to 10.
Influence of host and bacterial factors during neisseria meningitidis. This is the same type of bacteria that can cause meningitis. It can grow on both a blood agar plate bap and a chocolate agar plate cap. Meningococcal disease can refer to any illness that is caused by a type of bacteria called neisseria meningitidis. Neisseria gonorrhoeae, also known as gonococcus singular, or gonococci plural is a species of gramnegative diplococci bacteria isolated by albert neisser in 1879. Most carrier isolates are shown to lack capsule production.
Meningitis is an inflammation of the meninges, the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord. To characterize motility in pathogenic neisseria, we studied twitching motility using livecell phase contrast imaging and automated particle tracking of moving bacteria. Neisseria meningitidis is a gramnegative diplococci spheres clumped in pairs bacteria. Characterization of motility and piliation in pathogenic. The bacterium neisseria meningitidis, also called meningococcus, causes meningococcal meningitis. Neisseria meningitidis is immediately reportable on first knowledge or. Unlike a cold or the flu, the bacteria that cause meningitis cannot be spread by casual contact or by breathing the air where an infected person has been. The second is a vaccine against neisseria meningitidis serogroup b and is referred to as menb. About 1 in 10 people have these bacteria in the back of their nose and throat without being ill. Meningococcal bacteria can be transmitted from persontoperson, by asymptomatic. Neisseria meningitidis will attach to the microvilli of nonciliated columnar epithelial cells that reside in the nasal region of humans. Neisseria meningitidis, the causative agent of meningitis and septicemia, is able to attach to and invade a variety of cell types. It can be caused by a variety of organisms that include bacteria, fungi or viruses. The bacteria are able to multiply and form a colony because of its ability to acquire iron from the host.
Pdf invasive infections caused by neisseria meningitidis are a serious public health problem worldwide and have a heavy economic impact. In 1928, neisseria flavescens was first isolated from cerebrospinal fluid in the midst of an epidemic meningitis outbreak in chicago. Neisseria meningitidis an overview sciencedirect topics. See bacterial meningitis in children older than one. The bacteria are spherical, ranging in diameter from 0. Some of the most common causes of bacterial meningitis include neisseria meningitidis, streptococcus. Meningococcus, the bacterium neisseria meningitidis, which causes meningococcal meningitis in humans, who are the only natural hosts in which it causes disease. Neisseria meningitidis nm is a gramnegative bacterium. These gramnegative coccoid bacteria are generally thought to be restricted to humans and inhabit mucosal surfaces in the upper respiratory and genitourinary tracts. Our organism for the day likes it to the degree that makes it live in chocolate agar. Pdf bacterial meningitis is an inflammation of the meninges, including the pia, arachnoid, and. Neisseria meningitidis haemophilus influenzae streptococcus pneumoniae streptococcus pyogenes group a strep neisseria meningitidis is immediately reportable on first knowledge or suspicion of the diagnosis due to the potential need for prophylaxis of close contacts within 24 hours of suspected diagnosis suspicion is. Pdf the recent advances in cellular microbiology, genomics, and. Getting vaccinated is the best way to prevent meningococcal disease.
Entry of neisseria meningitidis into mammalian cells. Interaction ofcomplementwithneisseria meningitidis and neisseria gonorrhoeae peterdensen departmentofmedicine, veteransadministration medicalcenterandthe university ofiowa college ofmedicine, iowa city, iowa52242 theimportanceofthe complementsystemin hostdefense against systemic infection caused by neisseriae is empha. The first is a meningococcal conjugate vaccine which protects against four serogroups a, c, w, and y and is referred to as mcv4. Quick medical attention is extremely important if meningococcal disease is suspected. Clinical evidence suggests these isolates may represent an emerging urethrotropic clade. Oklahoma state department of health 012018 revised neisseria meningitidis meningococcal disease 1 neisseria meningitidis meningococcal disease i. Even if treated quickly, meningococcal disease can cause longterm problems or be deadly. We studied the human pathogen neisseria meningitidis and present evidence of novel mechanisms of resistance to the human antimicrobial peptide ll37. Bacterial meningitis is an inflammation of the meninges, including the pia, arachnoid, and subarachnoid space, that occurs in response to infection with bacteria andor bacterial products. Meningococcal disease neisseria meningitidis disease. The bacteria were allowed to adhere to polydlysinecoated glass and observed over a period of 60 s, with 12 images acquired per second.
Mortality can be very high if the infection is not treated appropriately, and longterm sequelae can be severe even in successfully managed cases. Neisseria meningitidis is a bacteria that is best known for its role in endemic bacterial meningitis. Neisseria meningitidis, often referred to as meningococcus, is a gram negative bacterium that can cause meningitis and other forms of meningococcal disease such as meningococcemia, a lifethreatening sepsis. About 10% of adults are carriers of the bacteria in their nasopharynx.
Neisseria meningitidis haemophilus influenzae streptococcus pneumoniae streptococcus agalactiae group b strep streptococcus pyogenes group a strep. There are more than 500,000 reported cases of meningococcal disease per year, with an estimated annual death toll of 5,000 zimmer and stephens 2004. Pdf neisseria meningitidis b vaccines researchgate. Neisseria meningitidis, colonization, hostbacteria interactions, lactate, biofilms, polynucleotide.
Neisseria meningitidis is prevented through two types of vaccines. Meningococcal disease is a contagious infection spread by close contact, such as living with or kissing an infected person. Neisseria meningitidis investigation and reporting. This bacteriology lecture will explain the general properties of neisseria meningitidis and it also explains the disease, pathogenesis, and treatment of neisseria meningitidis infection. The value of monitoring antimicrobial resistance is particularly significant for neisseria meningitidis and neisseria gonorrhoeae diseases, even if it is for different reasons. Most neisseria cells are spherical, but occasionally short rods are observed with a diameter of 0. Meningococcal disease can lead to meningitis or bloodstream infection. Comparison of the pathogenicity of neisseria meningitidis. The neisseria meningitidis bacterium is usually spread through close, personal or prolonged contact with respiratory or oral secretions. These gramnegative, aerobic bacteria reside in the mucosal membranes of the upper respiratory tract, functioning as commensals. Chapter 7 identification and characterization of neisseria.
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