Global Control of Meningococcal Disease

The exclusively human pathogen Neisseria meningitidis, which was first described in 1805 after an outbreak of 33 cases in Geneva, Switzerland, has been feared worldwide for more than 215 years as a cause of epidemics, pandemics, and sporadic cases of meningitis, rapidly fatal sepsis, and less commonly, pneumonia, often in otherwise-healthy young persons.1-3 Although disease rates have been decreasing in many regions of the world owing in part to the introduction of highly effective vaccines,4 case fatality remains high at 10 to 20%, and 11 to 19% of persons who survive infection have long-term consequences such as neurologic disabilities, sensory . . .