Meningococcal Disease

What is meningococcal disease?

Meningococcal disease is a very serious illness caused by bacteria. It can lead to brain damage, disability, and death. It usually causes two types of infections: swelling of the covering of the brain and spinal cord (meningitis) and blood infections (septicemia).

There are five types (serogroups) of meningococcal bacteria that cause most disease worldwide: A, B, C, W, and Y. Serogroups B, C, and Y cause most of the illness seen in the United States. There are vaccines to protect against all five of these strains.

What are the symptoms of meningococcal disease?

Meningitis is the most common form of meningococcal disease (50 percent of cases). Symptoms of meningitis include sudden onset of fever, headache, stiff neck, nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light, and confusion.

Meningococcal septicemia (bloodstream infection) is the second most common type of meningococcal infection (40 percent of cases). Symptoms of septicemia include fever, fatigue, vomiting, severe aches or pain, rapid breathing, diarrhea, cold chills, and in the later stages, a dark purple rash on the legs and arms.

If a person has symptoms of meningococcal disease, they usually appear anywhere from 3 to 4 days after exposure. Some people are carriers of meningococcal bacteria, but they have no symptoms of disease. Carriers can spread the disease to other people through direct contact with saliva.

Newborns and babies may not have the classic symptoms. Instead, babies may be slow or inactive, irritable, vomiting, or feed poorly. In young children, doctors may also look at the child's reflexes for signs of meningococcal disease, specifically meningitis.

Is meningococcal disease contagious?

Yes, meningococcal disease is contagious. It requires close or lengthy contact to spread. It's spread to other people by respiratory droplets, saliva or spit, or direct contact, such as coughing, kissing, or sharing anything by mouth with an infected person, like straws, silverware, lip balm, or toothbrushes.

Although it is rare, people can get meningococcal disease more than once. A previous infection does not offer lifelong protection from future infections. All preteens and teens should get vaccinated against meningococcal disease because there is a potential risk of reinfection for this age group.

What makes meningococcal disease a serious illness?

Even with antibiotic treatment, 10 to 15 in 100 people infected with meningococcal disease will die. About 11 to 19 in 100 survivors will have long-term disabilities, such as loss of limb(s), deafness, nervous system problems, or brain damage.

Who is at risk for meningococcal disease?

Anyone can get meningococcal disease, but rates of disease are highest in children younger than 1 year of age, followed by a second peak in adolescence. Among teens and young adults, those 16 through 23 years old have the highest rates of meningococcal disease. Adults age 65 years and older have higher rates of disease as well.

Some people are at greater risk for getting meningococcal disease and include those who:

Are less than 5 years of age, adolescents and young adults 16-21 years of age, and adults 65 and older
Have a rare type of autoimmune disorder (complement component deficiency)
Are taking the medicine called eculizumab (Soliris®)
Have asplenia (a damaged spleen or their spleen has been removed), including people who have asplenia due to sickle cell disease
Have HIV
Are men who have sex with men
Are traveling to or living in countries where the disease is common
Are at increased risk because of a meningococcal disease outbreak
Are a microbiologist who is routinely exposed to the meningococcal bacteria in a lab
Are college students
Are a military recruit

Other factors that may increase risk for meningococcal disease include household crowding, smoking, and having a viral infection that occurs before meningococcal infection.

What is the best way to prevent meningococcal disease?

The best protection against meningococcal disease is to get vaccinated. Two types of vaccines can protect against several kinds of meningococcal disease: meningococcal conjugate vaccine (protect against serogroups A, C, W, and Y) and meningococcal B vaccine (protect against serogroup B).

Meningococcal conjugate vaccine is recommended for all children aged 11 to 12 years, with a booster shot for teens at 16 years of age. Travelers to certain countries, and anyone aged 2 months and older who are at increased risk for meningococcal disease should also get the vaccine. People who stay at increased risk for meningococcal disease should get revaccinated every 5 years with meningococcal conjugate vaccine as long as they remain at increased risk.

Some people should get meningococcal B vaccine if they are 10 years of age and older with certain health conditions, taking certain medications, are at increased risk because of a meningococcal B disease outbreak, or work with meningococcal bacterial in a lab. This vaccine is a series of 2 or 3 doses.

People should get MenB booster doses if they become or remain at increased risk for meningococcal B disease. Adolescents and young adults age 16 to 23 years should talk with their healthcare provider to decide if a MenB vaccine series is needed to provide short-term protection against disease caused by most strains of serogroup B.

What should I do if I have been exposed to someone with meningococcal disease or get sick with meningococcal disease?

Go to the emergency room for treatment as soon as possible if you are exposed to someone with meningococcal disease or get sick with it, Then call your healthcare provider.

Many antibiotics are effective for treating meningococcal disease. It is important that treatment starts as soon as possible. Antibiotics help reduce the risk of death, and are most effective when given immediately after symptoms begin.

A person should get treatment and begin antibiotics within 24 hours if they have been in close contact with someone who is sick with meningococcal disease. They need to seek treatment even if they have been vaccinated before.

Fact Sheets

Off to College? (PDF) English and Spanish

Going for Hajj or Umrah? (PDF)

Meningococcal Disease (PDF) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Protect yourself from meningococcal disease… Get vaccinated! (PDF) (Immunization Action Coalition)

Meningococcal Disease