MenB is an uncommon but potentially deadly bacterial infection that attacks the linings of the brain and spinal cord, called the meninges, and can also cause an infection of the blood.1-3 Neisseria meningitidis is the bacterium that causes this disease, and MenB is one type of meningococcal disease (also known as meningitis).1 MenB represents approximately 60% of all meningitis cases among adolescents and young adults in the US.4 All other common types of the disease (A, C, W, Y) comprise only about 40% of disease incidence in the US.
Early symptoms may seem like the flu, but MenB can lead to death within 24 hours.1,2 MenB can also cause long-term effects in survivors, such as loss of limbs, seizures, or deafness.5,6