Urethritis caused by neisseria meningitidis: a case report

Isolation of N. meningitidis from the male urethra has become more common in recent years and this has been attributed to sexual activities and changes in social attitudes. We describe a further case of acute urethritis caused by transmission of N. meningitidis occurring after a single sexual contact (fellatio) in a heterosexual man. The urethritis was initially diagnosed as being caused by N. gonorrhoeae on a presumptive basis, then attributed to N. meningitidis serogroup Y. This case shows the need of accurate diagnostic procedures in all cases resembling gonococcal urethritis.