Diagnosis
How can meningococcal meningitis be diagnosed?
The culture of a clinical specimen (blood test and / or lumbar puncture) will reveal the meningococcus.
Most of the strains of meningococcal bacteria (Neisseria meningitidis) of hospitalised Belgian patients are sent to the National Reference Centre for Neisseria meningitidis [1]hosted by the WIV-ISP, for confirmation of the diagnosis and to follow circulating serotypes.