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Updated: Aug 14, 2026

Inducing Meningococcal Meningitis Serogroup C in Mice via Intracisternal Delivery
Published on: November 5, 2019
[Meningococci infection by a bacteriophage with a virulence factor]
1Leids Universitair Medisch Centrum, afd. Infectieziekten, Postbus 9600, 2300 RC Leiden. p.j.van_den_broek@lumc.nl
Abstract:
Meningococci are bacteria dreaded for their ability to kill young people. However, meningococci and humans usually live together peacefully. In a minority of cases, the co-existence results in disease. Recently, whole genome comparisons between hyperinvasive clones and clones not associated with disease revealed that a chromosomally integrated bacteriophage was related to invasiveness. Many examples of bacteriophage-encoded virulence factors are known--as such, this finding is not remarkable. However, the way this virulence factor was found is a nice example of unravelling the pathogenesis of infectious diseases in the genomic era.
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