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Meningococcal disease

Last updated April 10, 2025.

Meningococcal disease is a serious illness caused by a bacteria called Neisseria meningitidis. It can cause meningitis (infection of the lining of the brain and spinal cord), as well as infection in the blood, lungs, joints, and other parts of the body. Meningococcal disease can progress very quickly. Antibiotics are used to treat people diagnosed with meningococcal disease and it is important to get treatment right away if you are sick. While anyone can get meningococcal disease, people at higher risk include:

  • Adults aged 65 years and older, teens, young adults aged 16 through 23 years old, and children younger than 1 year old.
  • People with certain medical conditions, such as persistent complement component deficiencies (a condition that affects the immune system), functional and anatomic asplenia (having a spleen that doesn’t work well, or not having a spleen), and HIV infection.
  • People who receive complement inhibitors (a drug that blocks a specific part of the immune response) for rare medical disorders.
  • People who work, live, and travel in areas where they may be exposed to Neisseria meningitidis, including microbiologists, college students, military recruits, and travelers to sub-Saharan Africa.

Meningococcal disease can spread when people share respiratory and throat secretions (saliva or spit) during close or lengthy contact, such as:

  • People in the same household. 
  • Roommates. 
  • Anyone with direct contact with the patient’s oral secretions, such as a kissing partner or someone sharing drinks, vape pens, or cigarettes with the patient.

Symptoms and contagiousness

Symptoms of meningococcal disease can first appear as a flu-like illness and rapidly worsen. The two most common types of meningococcal infections are meningitis and septicemia. Both are very serious and can be deadly in a matter of hours.

Fortunately, meningococcal bacteria are not as easily spread from person to person as germs that cause the common cold, the flu, or COVID-19. People do not catch the bacteria through casual contact or by breathing air where someone with meningococcal disease has been.

For more information on meningococcal symptoms, visit CDC’s meningococcal disease signs and symptoms webpage.

Routine vaccination and prevention

CDC recommends all preteens and teens, as well as children and adults at increased risk for meningococcal disease, get vaccinated. Talk with your health care provider to see if, and when, vaccination is recommended for you or your child.

Meningococcal vaccines are covered by most health insurance plans. Contact your health care provider or pharmacy to schedule your vaccine appointment. 

Adults who are uninsured or underinsured can get a meningococcal vaccine at low or no cost from a provider with publicly funded vaccines (call ahead to confirm availability). Children from birth through 18 years of age who are on Medicaid, uninsured, underinsured, or Alaska Native/American Indian can get a free or low-cost meningococcal vaccine at more than 600 provider offices in Colorado.

For more information on meningococcal vaccines, visit CDC’s meningococcal vaccination webpage.

After a case of meningococcal disease is identified, public health works to ensure close contacts of that person receive antibiotics. Close contacts include people living in the same household or group setting, roommates, and anyone with direct contact with a patient’s saliva or spit. If you have been in close contact with someone with meningococcal disease, contact your health care provider or local public health agency to learn if you should get antibiotics.

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