[Persistence and transmission of Neisseria meningitidis in a family with a case of fatal infection].

We described two cases of meningococcal infection in a family. Both were detected in a period of seven months. We studied the epidemiological markers of strains isolated from cases and close contacts of the second case. The isolate of first case is identical to the rest of strains studied and we suggest the possibility of persistence and transmission of infection of the index case to the close contacts and the second case. In this paper it is discussed the application of control measures to eradicate the meningococcus from the nasopharynx of patients after the illness, principally in workers with close contacts with populations at risk and in epidemic periods.