Meningitis is an inflammation of the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord. There are several different types of meningitis: viral, bacterial, fungal, parasitic, drug-induced, and chronic. It is caused by different pathogens. This article will focus on the two most common causes of meningitis, viral and bacterial.
The symptoms of meningitis are:
Infants may experience irritability, refuse to eat, and difficulty in walking. Symptoms of both viral and bacterial are similar in the beginning, however bacterial meningitis symptoms are more severe.
Symptoms appear between 3 and 10 days of exposure. The length of illness depends on the type of meningitis. The average length of infection with viral meningitis is 10 days. Bacterial meningitis last longer, up to 3 weeks.
Viral meningitis is the most common type of meningitis. It occurs following viral infection such as influenza, measles, mumps, herpesvirus, and more. Most people will not need medical intervention for viral meningitis. Antiviral drugs can be administered and are helpful if someone has influenza or herpesviruses. Those at an increased risk for viral meningitis are babies under 1 year old, children under 5 years old, and those with weakened immune systems. Babies under 1 are more at risk for more severe symptoms. Close contacts with those with viral meningitis are more likely to become infected with the virus that caused them to be sick but are unlikely to develop meningitis.
Bacterial meningitis is caused by bacterium. Some leading causes of bacterial meningitis are Streptococcus pneumoniae, N. meningitidis, and E. coli. A less common cause is mycobacterium tuberculosis. Bacterial meningitis is a serious infection and death can occur within a few hours. Those who recover may have long term disabilities. Fortunately, most do recover from the illness. Those at risk for bacterial meningitis are people who have a weakened immune system, those living in college dormitories, or those that travel outside the US. Specific bacterial infections can affect different age groups, such as newborns with group B streptococcus and E. coli. Adults are more likely to contract H. influenzae and group B streptococcus. There is also other bacterium that can also cause infection amongst these age groups. Those listed above are the most common ones.
How the infection spreads depends on the type of bacterium or virus that causes meningitis. Bacterial meningitis is treated with antibiotics, and these should be started as soon as possible when infection is diagnosed. Individuals who come in close contact with someone infected with meningitis can sometimes take preventive antibiotics. Healthcare providers determine who will take them.
Healthcare professionals must follow strict infection control protocols to prevent the spread of infection. Some of the main infection control protocols to follow consist of:
The bottom line is meningitis has many different causes and there are different types. Although uncommon, it can quickly become life threatening. Anyone experiencing symptoms should seek medical attention immediately. Meningitis itself is not contagious; however, the virus or bacterial infection that causes meningitis can be contagious. Best practices are to follow infection control procedures and identify suspected or confirmed patients as soon as possible. This will result in the best possible outcome of all.
