A Fatal Case of Invasive Infection Caused By W135 Neisseria meningitidis in a Vaccinated French Soldier.

We report on the case of fatal "purpura fulminans" caused by Neisseria meningitidis W135 that occurred in a young French soldier vaccinated a few months earlier with the tetravalent conjugate vaccine ACYW135. Biological investigations revealed adequate titers of postvaccination antibodies against serogroups A, C, and W135 and led to the post-mortem diagnosis of a complete C7 complement deficiency. Late complement component deficiency is a well-known risk factor of meningococcal diseases, but usually exposes to recurrent mild infections, whereas severe invasive meningococcal diseases are more likely to occur among properdin-deficient patients. Awareness of the potentially life-threatening nature of late complement component deficiency should lead to improved diagnosis among young people, especially when past medical history reveals recurrent mild infections.

Malaria outbreak among French army troops returning from the Ivory Coast.

In 2006, a French Army unit reported 39 malaria cases among service persons returning from Ivory Coast. Thirty, including three serious forms, occurred after the return to France. The risk of post-return malaria was higher than the risk in Ivory Coast. Half of the imported cases had stopped post-return chemoprophylaxis early.