Neisseria meningitidis (serogroup A, C, W, or Y) (N. meningitidis (A, C, W, Y))

Neisseria meningitidis is a Gram-negative diplococcus bacterium that colonizes the human nasopharynx and can cause severe invasive diseases such as bacterial meningitis and septicemia. The organism is classified into at least 13 different serogroups based on the structure of its capsular polysaccharide; among these, serogroups A, C, W (formerly called W135), and Y are major causes of invasive disease worldwide. The capsule is the primary virulence factor enabling evasion from host immune responses. Transmission occurs via respiratory secretions during close contact. Vaccines targeting these four major pathogenic groups—MenA/C/W/Y—are widely used to prevent outbreaks in high-risk populations by inducing protective antibody responses against their respective capsules[1][2][3][4][5]. **Note:** This entry refers to a group classification ("Neisseria meningitidis serogroups A, C, W and Y") rather than a single molecular target or receptor. Each "serogroup" represents a distinct variant defined by its unique capsular polysaccharide antigenicity—not an individual protein or receptor molecule as typically considered for drug targets. Therefore: *is_incorrect* = true — because this entry describes multiple bacterial subtypes/antigens rather than one discrete molecular target suitable for structured drug-target databases. If you need information about a specific protein target within N. meningitidis relevant to these vaccines (such as "polysaccharide capsule biosynthesis enzyme" or "factor H-binding protein"), please specify further so that more precise molecular data can be provided.

Other names

Meningococcus serogroup AMeningococcus serogroup CMeningococcus serogroup WMeningococcus serogroup YNeisseria meningitidis group A/C/W/Y

Vaccines induce protective antibodies against the capsular polysaccharides of each targeted serogroup[2][3]