Droplet / Contact Precautions
Encapsulated gram negative diplococci
Normal flora - humans are the reservoir
Quadrivalent vaccine prevents disease by serogroups A/C/W-135/Y
Occurs in outbreaks particularly in crowded setting
Colonizer and cause of invasive disease: meningitis, meningococcemia, and rarely pneumonia, septic arthritis, pericarditis, conjunctivitis, and others.
Generally of little significance when cultured from nonsterile sites i.e. genital, pharynx