Meningococcal meningitis is a serious bacterial infection of the covering of the brain.
It is caused by Neisseria meningitidis bacteria. You get meningococcal meningitis by direct contact with secretions from the nose and throat of persons who are infected. Susceptibility to the disease decreases with age. Others will experience only mild flu-like symptoms. When invasive infection occurs, the symptoms include sudden onset of fever, headache, vomiting, neck stiffness, and rash.