Neisseria Meningitidis Essay

Neisseria meningitidis, also known by meningococcus, is a gram-negative bacterium that infects the meninges of the brain. It was first observed in 1884 inside cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) by Ettore Marchiafava and Angelo Celli. It was discovered a few years later in 1887 that Neisseria meningitidis was the cause of Meningococcal meningitis. The bacteria cause inflammation of the meninges, several layers of tissue that protect the brain, called the dura mater, pia mater, and arachnoid mater. The dura mater is the thickest, outer most layer of the meninges that protects the brain from displacement. The pia mater is the innermost layer of the meninges that is fastened closely to the brain. Arachnoid mater is the middle layer of the meninges and
meningitidis is an encapsulated diplococcus, occurs in pairs, that is 100 to 1,000 times greater than a normal bacterium because the outer coat contains an endotoxin that causes disease. The diplococci are kidney-shaped and between 0.5-1μm in size. In order to reproduce the bacteria goes through binary fission, “one parent cell splits into two equal daughter cells” (Foster, Aliabadi, Sloczewsk, 2016). The bacteria also can survive in the presence of oxygen, aerobic, and mineral salts, amino acids, lactate, and glutamic acids are conducive for growth. It is considered a prokaryote because it lacks a nucleus and membrane-bound
meningitidis a portion of the CSF and blood are drawn and grown on a chocolate agar plate or a Thayer-Martin medium, more selective because it includes antibiotics. Once a colony of bacteria is grown it is tested for oxidase, glucose, sucrose and carbohydrates maltose which are all positive signs of N. meningitidis. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests are also available in most industrialized countries. It is quicker to determine the organism present even after a patient has been given antibiotics. The bodies innate immune response responds to the meningococcal infection by producing an excessive number of neutrophils. The high volume of neutrophils causes destruction of the infected tissues. When the bacteria permeate past the tissues it is able to move to the bloodstream, skin, and the meninges. The places that the bacteria can infect usually lack neutrophils which is why the extreme influx of them make the neutrophils so