Presentation with gastrointestinal symptoms and high case fatality associated with group W meningococcal disease (MenW) in teenagers, England, July 2015 to January 2016.

Atypical clinical presentations associated with group W meningococcal disease (MenW) are well-described and include pneumonia, septic arthritis, endocarditis and epiglottitis/supraglottitis. Following anecdotal reports of teenagers presenting with predominantly gastrointestinal symptoms, we undertook a case review of MenW cases in 15 to 19 year-olds diagnosed in England between July 2015 and January 2016. Of the 15 cases, seven presented with a short history of nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea; five of these seven cases died within 24 hours of presentation to hospital.

The UK joint specialist societies guideline on the diagnosis and management of acute meningitis and meningococcal sepsis in immunocompetent adults.

Bacterial meningitis and meningococcal sepsis are rare conditions with high case fatality rates. Early recognition and prompt treatment saves lives. In 1999 the British Infection Society produced a consensus statement for the management of immunocompetent adults with meningitis and meningococcal sepsis.

Reduced turnaround time and improved diagnosis of invasive serogroup B Neisseria meningitidis and Streptococcus pneumoniae infections using a lyophilized quadruplex quantitative PCR.

Since 1996 the Meningococcal Reference Unit (MRU) in Manchester has provided a national service for PCR confirmation of meningococcal and pneumococcal disease. Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B is predominant in the UK, accounting for >60% of cases. In response to this, the MRU has developed a quadruplex quantitative PCR that detects N.

Investigation into the Antigenic Properties and Contributions to Growth in Blood of the Meningococcal Haemoglobin Receptors, HpuAB and HmbR.

Acquisition of iron from host complexes is mediated by four surface-located receptors of Neisseria meningitidis. The HmbR protein and heterodimeric HpuAB complex bind to haemoglobin whilst TbpBA and LbpBA bind iron-loaded transferrin and lactoferrin complexes, respectively. The haemoglobin receptors are unevenly distributed; disease-causing meningococcal isolates encode HmbR or both receptors while strains with only HpuAB are rarely-associated with disease.