May 13, 2016
Bulletin interne de l'Institut Pasteur
Meningococcal disease: identification of a sexually transmitted variant
A study from the University of Würzburg (Germany) and the Institut Pasteur (France) elucidates the mechanisms of the emergence of an outbreak of meningococcal disease in men who have sex with men (MSM). These results are published in the open access journal PLOS ONE.
Meningococcal disease usually affects children and adolescents and causes sepsis and meningitis. An international outbreak was observed among MSM in 2013 in the US and Europe. Vaccine recommendations were launched to protect people at risk in France, Germany, and the USA.