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Although rare, predominant growth of Neisseria meningitidis in an eye swab supports a diagnosis of meningococcal conjunctivitis in the appropriate clinical context. Invasive meningococcal disease, most commonly manifesting as septicaemia and meningitis, has been reported to accompany or follow conjunctivitis. Hence guidelines recommend systemic antibiotic therapy for meningococcal conjunctivitis as for invasive disease. Management includes prophylaxis of high-risk contacts, as invasive disease may develop in a small number of these contacts. However, the risk of progression from meningococcal conjunctivitis to invasive disease is unknown. There is a paucity of data regarding meningococcal conjunctivitis in Australia as only cases of invasive disease are reported to public health authorities and it is unclear whether non‐sterile sites meet the laboratory definition for reporting. Additionally, most cases of bacterial conjunctivitis are treated empirically without a microbiological diagnosis.

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Authors: Chloe Story, Tina Marinelli, Simeon Crawford and Amrita Ronnachit

Article Type: Medical Education