Serological Diversity Among Meningococci

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Abstract
Summary: Accurate “typing” of meningococci is often a laborious process. This is due chiefly to the following factors: (a) Lack of specificity among meningococci; (b) lack of specificity in “typing” serum; (c) lack of antigenic stability in meningococci; and (d) failure to do the “typing” soon after isolation. It is frequently necessary to use a combination of many methods in order to place some strains in their respective serological groups. The relative proportion of meningococci which fall into the four groups of Gordon and Murray has not been the same during the 1927–1930 outbreaks as during 1915–1918. More than 80 per cent of strains studied have been placed in the I and III groups, the relation of which to each other is so intimate that the classification of many strains as I or III has been difficult. Intensive study of the serological pattern of meningococci is important (a) in respect to the choice of strains to use in making therapeutic sera, and (b) in choosing standard “type” strains. The value of expending the amount of time and labor necessary for the satisfactory classification of complex strains in some routine work may be questioned.

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