Meningococcal Infection: A Brief Review and Personal Observations of the Generalized Form of the Disease in Three-Month-Old Twins

Abstract

Meningococcal infection in the form of sporadic cases or minor group outbreaks, mostly among children, is registered in all countries of the world. The disease has a wide range of clinical manifestations – from an asymptomatic bacterial carriage and acute nasopharyngitis to the rapid development of meningococcemia, acute meningococcal sepsis and meningitis. The article highlights and summarizes literature data related to the incidence of meningococcal infection, ways of infection, features of the clinical course of the disease in the newborn period, and modern views on the problem. A rare clinical case of the development of severe generalized forms of meningococcal infection in 3-month-old twins with a fatal outcome in one child is described. The decisive role in the development of the disease of twins is determined by the way and duration of children’s contact with their father, who has a bacteriologically confirmed (Neisseria meningitidis, biovar C) meningococcal nasopharyngitis. Early diagnosis and treatment of all forms of meningococcal infections are important to prevent the development of GMI. The key method of MI prevention is vaccination.