What is the meningococcus?
The meningococcus is a bacterium that can be found at the back of the throat or in the nose in about 10% of the community at any given time. Although most people who ‘carry’ this germ in their throat or nose remain quite well, they are able to spread it to others, a few of whom may subsequently become very ill. It is spread in the fine droplets that are shed through coughing, sneezing and spluttering. The technical name for the meningococcus is Neisseria meningitidis. There are several different strains of meningococcus which are distinguished by their group names. The most common are groups A, B, C, W135 and Y. The amount of infection caused by the different groups varies in different places in the world. In Australia, groups B and C occur most frequently.
