Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 6, 2026

Neisseria meningitidis Infection of Induced Pluripotent Stem-Cell Derived Brain Endothelial Cells
Published on: July 14, 2020
Penicillin-resistant Neisseria meningitidis bacteraemia, Kimberley region, March 2010
Shivanti D Abeysuriya1, David J Speers, Jackie Gardiner
1Department of Microbiology, PathWest Laboratory Medicine, Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre, Nedlands, Western Australia. shivanti.abeysuriya@health.wa.gov.au
Abstract:
A 4-year-old fully immunised male presented to a regional hospital in the West Kimberley with fever and lethargy. Blood cultures yielded serogroup B Neisseria meningitidis, resistant to benzylpenicillin (minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) 1.0 mg/L). The patient was treated with intravenous ceftriaxone and made a complete recovery. Although invasive N. meningitidis isolates with reduced penicillin susceptibility are not uncommon in Australia, this is the first report of a benzylpenicillin-resistant isolate (MIC > 0.5 mg/L) causing invasive disease. As benzylpenicillin is currently recommended as first line empiric and definitive therapy for invasive meningococcal disease, the emergence of penicillin-resistant N. meningitidis disease is of concern and emphasises the importance of ongoing surveillance for antimicrobial resistance.
Related Concept Videos
Bacterial Meningitis
Bacterial Meningitis II: Pathophysiology
Bacterial Meningitis I: Introduction
Mechanism of Antibiotic Resistance in MRSA
Clinical Significance of Antibiotic Resistance
Acute Pyelonephritis II: Diagnostic Studies and Management
