La physiopathologie des surinfections bacteriennes de la grippe, incluant les meningococcies, est mal connue. Les souris, normalement resistantes au meningocoque, deviennent sensibles apres une primo-infection par le virus influenza A. Cet effet immunosuppresseur est transitoire et coincide avec le pic de la reaction inflammatoire antivirale. Ces donnees soulignent l'importance de la prevention des surinfections par une surveillance de toute reprise de la fievre apres amelioration du syndrome grippal. Sur le plan collectif, la vaccination antigrippale, outre son efficacite specifique, permettrait sans doute d'epargner nombre de surinfections invasives, dont les meningococcies.
The pathophysiology of bacterial superinfections of influenza, including meningococcal diseases, remains obscure. Mice, normally resistant to the meningococcus, become susceptible after previous influenza A virus infection. This immunosuppressive effect is transitory and is associated with the peak of the inflammatory anti-virus reaction. These results underline the importance of preventing bacterial superinfections of influenza by the surveillance of any relapse of fever after improvement of the influenza syndrome. At the community level, influenza vaccine, beside its specific effects, might also prevent many cases of invasive superinfections, including meningococcal diseases.