[Invasive meningococcal disease].

Invasive meningococcal disease a serious problem for public health. Two severe clinical manifestations--spinal meningitis and septicemia--are diseases extending very rapidly with serious prognosis. Pathogenic bacterium--Neisseria meningitidis--is the only natural reservoir in human beings. In Poland during the last 10 years, the incidence of meningococcal disease is steadily increasing with localized outbreaks of epidemic. Treatment of infection is effective when the early diagnosis has been done. In the recent years, significant progress has been made in immunoprophylaxis of infections, and the introduction of vaccines against Neisseria meningitidis into the national calendar gave the significant reduction of invasive infection.