Neisseria meningitidis
species of bacterium
Neisseria meningitidis, often referred to as the meningococcus, is a Gram-negative bacterium that can cause meningitis and other forms of meningococcal disease such as meningococcemia, a life-threatening sepsis. The bacterium is referred to as a coccus because it is round, and more specifically a diplococcus because of its tendency to form pairs.
About 10% of adults are carriers of the bacteria in their nasopharynx. As an exclusively human pathogen, it causes developmental impairment and death in about 10% of cases. It causes the only form of bacterial meningitis known to occur epidemically, mainly in Africa and Asia. It occurs worldwide in both epidemic and endemic form.
N. meningitidis is spread through saliva and respiratory secretions during coughing, sneezing, kissing, chewing on toys and through sharing a source of fresh water. It has also been reported to be transmitted through oral sex and to cause urethritis in longer urethral linings. It infects its host cells by sticking to them with long, thin (spindly) extensions called pili; and the surface-exposed proteins Opa and Opc and have several virulence factors.
Signs and symptoms
Meningococcus can cause meningitis and other forms of meningococcal disease.
The public source identifies “Neisseria meningitidis” as species of bacterium. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Neisseria, meningitidis and species.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Neisseria meningitidis”, the useful work is to connect “species of bacterium” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Stable identifiers, scientific names and standards terminology offer the best bridge between this overview and specialist evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 20, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q154625. The Library of Congress control number is sh85090675. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 1 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank.
Scientific names, classifications and consensus can change while older terminology persists in catalogues and historical literature. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
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Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.
Three-step research path
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Questions for further research
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This entry incorporates text from “Neisseria meningitidis” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.