BACTERIOLOGICAL IDENTIFICATION OF GENERA NEISSERIA AND BRANHAMELLA SPECIES, SEROGROUPING OF MENINGOCOCCI - EVOLUTION OF NOMENCLATURE

Genera Neisseria and Branhamella, which include the main pathogenic sp ecies for man, belong to different bacterial families, namely Neisseri aceae and Branhamaceae. The Neisseriaceae family has been drastically changed over the last few years and now consists of two main genera wh ich have proved interesting to medical bacteriology: genus Neisseria w ith the two pathogenic species N. gonorrhoeae and N. meningitidis, and genus Kingella. The Branhamaceae family is composed of two genera Bra nhamella and Moraxella. The main human pathogen of genus Branhamella i s B. catarrhalis (synonym Moraxella catarrhalis). The Neisseria genus includes pathogenic and commensal species to man and animals. Genera K ingella and Oligella species can only he isolated in man, Circumstance s and conditions for the isolation of Neisseria ganorrhoeae, Neisseria meningitidis and Branhamella catarrhalis vary greatly. Some species a re isolated iu a pure state, in biological fluid which is normally ste rile (CSF or blood) or may be found in existing microflora, Bacteriolo gical identification must be prompt and reliable. The patient should b e treated for meningitis infection following guidelines established by the analysis of previous epidemiological data, Treatment should be ca rried out before receiving laboratory results. The increasing resistan ce of Neisseria meningitidis to penicillin G Is a relatively recent ph enomenon in France. Guidelines concerning the use of antibiotics must be reconsidered. The application of prophylaxis rules must be applied as soon as possible in order to prevent secondary cases, Prophylaxis i ncludes chemoprophylaxis with rifampicin or, in case of contra-indicat ion spiramycin for all serogroups, and vaccination for serogroups A an d C.