Neisseria meningitidis nasopharynx colonization of diseased patients on presentation and on discharge

Fifty-one meningococcal disease patients were randomly selected and a paire d throat swab was taken before and after specific therapy. Neisseria mening itidis nasopharyngeal carriage after intravenous antibiotic therapy were fo und in only two cases (4%; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.5-13). All close contacts of the cases received chemoprophylaxis and throat swabs taken 10 d ays later were negative.