Vaginal isolation of Neisseria meningitidis in association with meningococcaemia

The isolation of meningococci from the vagina is unusual. This report concerns a young woman who presented with vaginal bleeding and subsequently developed a febrile illness which responded to oral ampicillin. The main clinical features included vomiting and drowsiness followed by a rash and arthritis. Neisseria meningitidis group B was isolated from cultures of a vaginal swab and blood. A brief literature review of genital infections with meningococci is given.