We report on the case of fatal "purpura fulminans" caused by Neisseria meningitidis W135 that occurred in a young French soldier vaccinated a few months earlier with the tetravalent conjugate vaccine ACYW135. Biological investigations revealed adequate titers of postvaccination antibodies against serogroups A, C, and W135 and led to the post-mortem diagnosis of a complete C7 complement deficiency. Late complement component deficiency is a well-known risk factor of meningococcal diseases, but usually exposes to recurrent mild infections, whereas severe invasive meningococcal diseases are more likely to occur among properdin-deficient patients. Awareness of the potentially life-threatening nature of late complement component deficiency should lead to improved diagnosis among young people, especially when past medical history reveals recurrent mild infections.
CITATION STYLE
Duron, S., Martinaud, C., Lacassagne, D., & Koeck, J. L. (2016). A fatal case of invasive infection caused by W135 Neisseria meningitidis in a vaccinated french soldier. Military Medicine, 181(11), e1702–e1705. https://doi.org/10.7205/MILMED-D-15-00448
Mendeley helps you to discover research relevant for your work.