ABSTRACT
To improve the diagnosis of meningococcal meningitis, nPCR was used in cerebrospinal fluid [CSF] samples. NPCR test was based on the gene coding for the pro-A outer membrane protein, a major antigen of N. meningitis. This method was applied on 20 culture positive CSF samples; 9 N. meningitides, 8 Strept. pneumoniae, 2 H. influenza and 1 Strept group B SGB and on 16 culture negative CSF samples. Both sensitivity and specificity of the test were 100% for cases with confirmed meningococcal meningitis. Of the culture negative CSF samples, eight cases were nPCR positive. In conclusion, nPCR is a rapid and sensitive test that may be used to confirm the diagnosis of meningococcal disease of substantial number of patients for whom no other confirmatory laboratory method was available