Definition of "meningococcus" []

• A bacterium (Neisseria meningitidis) that causes cerebrospinal meningitis. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "In addition to 11 - and 12-year olds, meningococcus is currently recommended for 15-year-olds and college freshmen living in dormitories."
• "Because meningococcus is contagious, outbreaks can occur in childcare centers and schools."
• "The problem with making a vaccine to protect against meningococcus is that, although there are only five different types of meningococcus that commonly cause disease (types A, B, C, Y and W-135), it has been very difficult to make a vaccine that includes type B and meningococcus type B accounts for two-thirds of meningococcal infections in infants and one-third of meningococcal infections in adolescents and adults."