[Prevention of invasive meningococcal infection, recognition and first treatment of the disease in primary care].

Neisseria meningitidis, the meningococcus, is a Gram-negative diplococcal bacterium that is only found naturally in humans. The meningococcus is part of the normal microbiota of the human nasopharynx and is commonly carried in healthy individuals. In some cases systemic invasion occurs, which can lead to meningitis and/or septicemia. Invasive disease caused by Neisseria meningitidis is potentially devastating, with a high case fatality rate and high rates of significant sequelae among survivors after septicaemia or meningitis. Between 2006-2015 every year between 34 and 70 were the numbers of the registered invasive disease because of Neisseria meningitis, the morbidity rate was 0.2-0.7⁰⁄₀₀₀₀. Half of the diseases (50.7%) were caused by B serotype N. meningitidis, 23.2% were C serotype. In this article the authors summarise what you must do and must not do as primary care physician when suddenly meeting a young patients suspected of having meningococcus infection.