meningococcus

[ muh-ning-goh-kok-uhs ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

, plural me·nin·go·coc·ci [m, uh, -ning-goh-, kok, -sahy, -see].

a reniform or spherical bacterium, Neisseria meningitidis, that causes cerebrospinal meningitis.

meningococcus

/ mɛˌnɪŋɡəʊˈkɒkəs /

me·ningo·coccal me·nin·go·coc·cic [m, uh, -ning-goh-, kok, -ik, -, kok, -sik], adjective

From New Latin, dating back to 1890–95; meninges, -o-, coccus

Despite the “meningo-” prefix, meningococcus causes two distinct clinical diseases, each accounting for about half the illnesses.

The Princeton outbreak also marks the third time meningococcus has been in the news recently.

And it is likely that the same is true of the meningococcus currently being spread.

Fortunately for meningococcus, we surely have the tools to prevent the next case.

Few infectious diseases are as frightening as meningococcus.

The meningococcus and the virus of poliomyelitis pass from the nose into the cranial cavity without local lesions in the former.

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