Meningococcal disease remains a serious public health problem throughout the world. Although most individual infections can be treated successfully we are still unable to prevent most outbreaks or to eliminate endemic disease. Over the last ten years there have been major advances in our understanding of the epidemiology, molecular biology, pathogenesis, clinical management and prevention of meningococcal disease. In Meningococcal Disease, leading experts review recent developments in all of these areas. Practical aspects of clinical management, both of individual cases and of outbreaks, are strongly emphasised. Prospects for control are now rapidly improving with conjugate vaccines entering clinical trials and work intensifying in the development of vaccines for serogroup B disease. This book brings together up-to-date information on all aspects of meningococcal disease and will be of value to paediatricians, microbiologists, specialists in infectious diseases and professionals in public health medicine.