In human meningococcal infection the mechanism of the transition from asymptomatic
carriage to invasive disease is unknown, partly due to the lack of an effective animal model
that mimics all stages of the human disease. Therefore, we have endeavoured to develop a
model for the human infection by instilling a suspension of Neisseria meningitidis into the
nostrils of infant mice and subsequently determining the numbers of organisms in the nasal
passages, lungs, blood and brains. Intranasal (in) instillation resulted in consistent nasal …