Bacterial genomic detection within cerebrospinal fluid of patients with meningococcal disease is influenced by microbial and host characteristics.

Among 384 patients with confirmed meningococcal disease, the likelihood of detecting Neisseria meningitidis DNA in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) increased with age, serogroup B infection, and prehospitalization antibiotic treatment. Plasma and CSF genomic bacterial loads of non-B N. meningitidis serogroups correlated significantly. Serogroup B-infected patients with genotype TNF2 (-308A) had significantly higher CSF bacterial loads.