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Teisseria meningitidis commonly causes meningitis in the African meningitis belt, where periodic meningococcal epidemics have contributed to the highest reported incidence of meningococcal meningitis in the world (1). Most meningococcal [...]

Although the role of Toll-like receptors in extracellular bacterial sensing has been investigated intensively, intracellular detection of bacteria through Nod molecules remains largely uncharacterized. Here, we show that human Nod1 specifically detects a unique diaminopimelate-containing N-acetylglucosamine-N-acetylmuramic acid (GlcNAc-MurNAc) tripeptide motif found in Gram-negative bacterial peptidoglycan, resulting in activation of the transcription factor NF-κB pathway. Moreover, we show that in epithelial cells (which represent the first line of defense against invasive pathogens), Nod1 is indispensable for intracellular Gram-negative bacterial sensing., Innate immunity to bacterial pathogens relies on the specific sensing of pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) by pattern recognition molecules. In mammals, Toll-like receptors (TLRs) represent the most extensively studied class [...]

To the Editor: A multinational outbreak of infection with Neisseria meningitidis serogroup W135 belonging to the sequence type (ST) 11 clonal complex started in the year 2000 among pilgrims to [...]

The effects of different growth conditions on the expression of the Neisseria gonorrhoeae pilin (pilE) gene were analyzed by utilizing gene fusions between pilE and the chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT) gene. Analysis of pilE gene expression patterns via pilE-CAT gene fusions in the presence of high osmolality, high urea concentration and anaerobiosis indicated the role of PilA and PilB in mediating environmental adaptations. The PilA/PilB regulatory proteins also exhibited pleiotropic effects on the level of several gonococcal proteins.

To compensate for the lack of laboratories in remote areas, the national reference Laboratory for meningitis in Niger used polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to enhance the surveillance of meningitis caused [...]

From 1991 to 1998, Neisseria meningitidis serogroups A, B, and C represented 2%-10% of strains isolated from cases of bacterial meningitis in Yaounde During 1999 to 2000, the percentage of [...]

To the Editor: Infections with Neisseria meningitidis may occur as outbreaks or epidemics. Consequently, chemoprophylaxis for contacts is generally recommended. Ciprofloxacin is frequently used in adults in a convenient 1-dose [...]

To The Editor: Immediate management of meningococcal disease requires antimicrobial drug treatment of patients with [beta]-lactams and chemoprophylaxis of contact persons with rifampin. High-level resistance to rifampin (MIC >32 mg/L) [...]