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Atypical, yet not infrequent, infections with neisseria species

Atypical, yet not infrequent, infections with neisseria species
Atypical, yet not infrequent, infections with neisseria species

Neisseria species are extremely well-adapted to their mammalian hosts and they display unique phenotypes that account for their ability to thrive within niche-specific conditions. The closely related species N. gonorrhoeae and N. meningitidis are the only two species of the genus recognized as strict human pathogens, causing the sexually transmitted disease gonorrhea and meningitis and sepsis, respectively. Gonococci colonize the mucosal epithelium of the male urethra and female endo/ectocervix, whereas meningococci colonize the mucosal epithelium of the human nasopharynx. The pathophysiological host responses to gonococcal and meningococcal infection are distinct. However, medical evidence dating back to the early 1900s demonstrates that these two species can cross-colonize anatomical niches, with patients often presenting with clinically-indistinguishable infections. The remaining Neisseria species are not commonly associated with disease and are considered as commensals within the normal microbiota of the human and animal nasopharynx. Nonetheless, clinical case reports suggest that they can behave as opportunistic pathogens. In this review, we describe the diversity of the genus Neisseria in the clinical context and raise the attention of microbiologists and clinicians for more cautious approaches in the diagnosis and treatment of the many pathologies these species may cause.

Commensal, Host adaptation, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Neisseria meningitidis, Neisseria species, Pathogenesis
2076-0817
Humbert, Maria Victoria
82134d25-24b8-4fdd-bd1c-461683b5322e
Christodoulides, Myron
eba99148-620c-452a-a334-c1a52ba94078
Humbert, Maria Victoria
82134d25-24b8-4fdd-bd1c-461683b5322e
Christodoulides, Myron
eba99148-620c-452a-a334-c1a52ba94078

Humbert, Maria Victoria and Christodoulides, Myron (2019) Atypical, yet not infrequent, infections with neisseria species. Pathogens, 9 (1), [10]. (doi:10.3390/pathogens9010010).

Record type: Review

Abstract

Neisseria species are extremely well-adapted to their mammalian hosts and they display unique phenotypes that account for their ability to thrive within niche-specific conditions. The closely related species N. gonorrhoeae and N. meningitidis are the only two species of the genus recognized as strict human pathogens, causing the sexually transmitted disease gonorrhea and meningitis and sepsis, respectively. Gonococci colonize the mucosal epithelium of the male urethra and female endo/ectocervix, whereas meningococci colonize the mucosal epithelium of the human nasopharynx. The pathophysiological host responses to gonococcal and meningococcal infection are distinct. However, medical evidence dating back to the early 1900s demonstrates that these two species can cross-colonize anatomical niches, with patients often presenting with clinically-indistinguishable infections. The remaining Neisseria species are not commonly associated with disease and are considered as commensals within the normal microbiota of the human and animal nasopharynx. Nonetheless, clinical case reports suggest that they can behave as opportunistic pathogens. In this review, we describe the diversity of the genus Neisseria in the clinical context and raise the attention of microbiologists and clinicians for more cautious approaches in the diagnosis and treatment of the many pathologies these species may cause.

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Accepted/In Press date: 18 December 2019
e-pub ahead of print date: 20 December 2019
Published date: 20 December 2019
Keywords: Commensal, Host adaptation, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Neisseria meningitidis, Neisseria species, Pathogenesis

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Local EPrints ID: 437206
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/437206
ISSN: 2076-0817
PURE UUID: 7b54f9bb-cc7e-4e32-a1a5-a4f4a9b966eb
ORCID for Maria Victoria Humbert: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-5728-6981
ORCID for Myron Christodoulides: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-9663-4731

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Date deposited: 21 Jan 2020 17:36
Last modified: 06 Jun 2024 01:53

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Author: Maria Victoria Humbert ORCID iD

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