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.