Meningococcal disease

Meningococcal disease is a life-threatening infection. It is a term used to describe two major illnesses – meningitis and septicaemia (blood poisoning). These can occur on their own, or more commonly, both together.

What is meningococcal meningitis?

When the bacteria infect the meninges, the blood vessels in the lining of the brain are damaged. This allows the bacteria to break through and infect the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), the meninges become inflamed and pressure around the brain can cause nerve damage.

After-effects include, memory loss, behavioural and emotional problems, loss of hearing and sight, and brain damage.

What is septicaemia?

A severe infection of the blood. Bacteria multiply in the blood, releasing endotoxins that cause widespread damage to the body. The toxins in the blood damage vessels and stop the vital flow of oxygen to the organs including the skin and underlying tissues. After-effects include areas of scarring, loss of digits or limbs and organ damage.

Key facts

There are approximately 1500 reported cases of meningococcal disease each year in the UK. This is the most common cause of bacterial meningitis
Group B accounts for at least 90% of cases of meningococcal disease.
Most people will make a good recovery, but meningococcal disease can cause very severe illness that can rapidly result in death and leave people with severe after-effects.
Around 7% of cases of meningococcal disease will result in death.
Of those who survive, 15% can be left with severe and disabling after-effects such as loss of hearing and sight, brain damage and, where septicaemia has occurred, damage to major organs, loss or digits and limbs.
Septicaemia is generally more life-threatening than meningitis.
Meningococcal disease can strike at any age, but most cases occur in babies and young children, the next most vulnerable group is teenagers and young adults.

How meningococcal disease is caused

Meningococcal disease is caused by a bacterium called the meningococcus. There are five main groups that commonly cause disease – A, B, C, W135 and Y. Group B causes the majority of disease in the UK. Around 10% of the population carry the meningococcal bacteria in the back of their throats at any given time. This is healthy carriage, and should help develop immunity. The bacteria are passed from person to person by coughing, sneezing and intimate kissing.

Occasionally the bacteria defeat the body’s defences and cause infection. The bacteria break through the lining at the back of the throat and pass into the bloodstream. They can travel in the bloodstream to infect the meninges, causing meningitis, or while in the bloodstream they can cause septicaemia.

How is meningococcal disease treated?

Meningococcal meningitis and septicaemia need urgent treatment with antibiotics and rapid admission to hospital. If treated promptly, meningitis and septicaemia are less likely to become life-threatening. For more information on this, visit our section on the treatment of meningitis.

Can meningococcal disease be prevented?

Some groups of meningococcal disease can be prevented with vaccines. Vaccines are the only way to prevent infectious illnesses such as meningococcal disease. There is still no vaccine to protect against meningococcal group B infection, the most common bacterial form of meningitis in the UK.

What happens when there is a case of meningococcal disease?

Most cases of meningococcal disease happen alone, and the likelihood of a second related case is extremely small, but occasionally they can happen.
Management of meningococcal disease in the community is the responsibility of a doctor who specialises in the public health management of infectious diseases.
The public health team (doctors and nurses) will visit the patient and their family in hospital in order to identify close contacts; these include household family members and intimate kissing contacts.
Close contacts may be given antibiotics in order to reduce the risk of further cases. The antibiotics will kill any meningococcal bacteria being carried in the back of the throat, reducing the risk of further transmission.
Close contacts may also be offered vaccination if a vaccine preventable group has been identified.
Each situation will be individually assessed and appropriate action taken. For example, if a second case occurs within four weeks in the same nursery school, all children and staff will be offered antibiotics, and vaccination if appropriate.
The public health team will liaise with local GPs, relevant schools/nurseries or places of work to ensure good communication between all those concerned.

Need more information on meningococcal meningitis?

You can download our fact sheet for more information on meningococcal disease. Or you can call speak to experienced staff on our freephone helpline, available 24-hours a day: 0808 80 10 388, or email us at helpline@meningitis-trust.org and we will come back to you as soon as we can.