Anyone can get meningococcal disease, but it does not strike evenly. Age, the state of the immune system, certain medicines, contact with a sick person, and where someone works, lives or travels can all raise the risk. The most effective protection for a child against certain types is to complete the childhood vaccine schedule.
Age
In the United States, the highest rates are in infants, in teens and young adults, and in older adults. Healthcare providers most often diagnose the disease in:
- children younger than 1 year;
- teens and young adults aged 16 through 23;
- adults 65 and older.
Conditions that weaken the immune system
| Condition | What it is | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Complement component deficiencies | disorders of the complement system, which helps the body fight infection — deficiencies of components such as C3, C5–9, properdin, factor H and factor D | very rare and usually genetic |
| Asplenia | anatomic: no spleen, because it was surgically removed; functional: a spleen that does not work as it should, as in sickle cell anemia | the spleen helps produce antibodies and filter bacteria, which makes it important against meningococcal infection |
| HIV infection | a low CD4 count or a high viral load | raises the risk; people with HIV should get a meningococcal conjugate vaccine |
Complement inhibitors
People who take complement inhibitors, such as eculizumab (Soliris) and ravulizumab (Ultomiris), are at increased risk. These drugs are most often prescribed for four rare conditions:
- atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome, a blood disorder;
- generalized myasthenia gravis, which leads to muscle weakness;
- neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder, which affects the brain and spinal cord;
- paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, a blood disorder.
For these patients, neither vaccination nor preventive antibiotics can prevent every case. Anyone taking a complement inhibitor who has symptoms of meningococcal disease should get medical care right away and tell the provider about the medicine.
Close or lengthy contact
Spending close or long periods with someone who has the disease raises the risk, especially for:
- anyone in direct contact with the patient's oral secretions, such as a kissing partner;
- people in the same household;
- roommates.
Where people work, live and travel
- Microbiologists who work with the bacteria that cause the disease.
- College students, compared with other teens and young adults.
- Military recruits, likely because of their age and crowded training facilities.
- Travelers to the meningitis belt in sub-Saharan Africa.
Sources
Based on "Risk Factors for Meningococcal Disease," Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a work of the United States government in the public domain.
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