Abstract

A retrospective study was performed in a department of genitourinary medicine to determine the prevalence and clinical features of urethral and cervical infection with Neisseria meningitidis among patients being screened for sexually transmitted diseases. During the 28 month period of the study 11 isolates (from 10 patients) of N. meningitidis were identified from 5571 urethral cultures from homosexual men (0.2%). This compares with an isolation rate of 4.7% for N. gonorrhoeae; 1.2% samples screened for chlamydial antigen were positive. There were no isolates from 8992 urethral cultures from heterosexual men or 15,976 cervical cultures. Eight of the cases identified had features of urethritis at diagnosis; 6 were diagnosed initially as non-specific urethritis (NSU) and 2 as gonorrhoea on the basis of microscopy of a urethral smear. Eight of the 10 patients were treated with amoxycillin and/or a tetracycline, and all but one had a clinical and microbiological cure. In the study population the prevalence of N. meningitidis infection was low and restricted to homosexual men; however, it may be associated with symptoms.