Explore the recorded discovery and history of Neisseria meningitidis, with source links and stated limits.
Meningococci can be carried in the back of the nose and throat without illness. When they invade, they can cause meningitis or bloodstream infection that worsens rapidly. Healthy carriage and invasive disease are separate states. The paired-cell model depicts an encapsulated phenotype; capsule expression differs among strains.
CDC records Anton Weichselbaum’s isolation in 1887 under an earlier name. This recognition milestone is distinct from the 1929 Neisseria name combination and does not establish the first human infection.
LPSN attributes the Neisseria meningitidis combination to Murray’s 1929 publication. Earlier identification is separate from this naming date.
The name is preserved in the Approved Lists of Bacterial Names.
These references do not establish the first human infection. Naming, isolation and recognition milestones do not date biological origin or patient zero.
Source check: 2026-09-19. Educational content; independent scientific review remains pending.