Meningococcal disease

Meningococcal disease is a serious, vaccine-preventable infection caused by Neisseria meningitidis, a gram-negative diplococcus bacterium also known as meningococcus. Meningococcal disease presents as life-threatening and rapidly progressive meningitis, meningococcal... Wikipedia

• Symptoms:  Flu-like symptoms, neck stiffness, altered mental status, seizures, purpura and petechiae
• Complications:  Septic shock leading to gangrene and organ failure, brain damage, blindness, deafness
• Usual onset:  Usually 3–4 days
• Causes:  Neisseria meningitidis spread by respiratory droplets or saliva
• Risk factors:  Complement deficiencies, asplenia
• Diagnostic method:  Isolation of N. meningitidis from blood or cerebrospinal fluid by culture or PCR
• Prevention:  Meningococcal vaccine, preventative antibiotics in those exposed
• Treatment:  Antibiotics, supportive care
• Medication:  Antibiotics including cephalosporins, penicillins, and rifampin
• Prognosis:  80% mortality rate if untreated, 4–20% mortality rate with treatment
• Data source:  DuckDuckGo