Neisseria meningitidis nasopharynx colonization of diseased patients on presentation and on discharge.

Fifty-one meningococcal disease patients were randomly selected and a paired throat swab was taken before and after specific therapy. Neisseria meningitidis nasopharyngeal carriage after intravenous antibiotic therapy were found in only two cases (4%; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.5-13). All close contacts of the cases received chemoprophylaxis and throat swabs taken 10 days later were negative.