Meningitis Overview

Meningitis is a serious infection that causes inflammation (swelling) of the protective membranes (meninges) covering the brain and the spinal cord. It is one of the devastating diseases that continually remain a major public health challenge in society. It can affect any person but is more common in babies, young children, teenagers, and young adults.

It can be caused by different pathogens which include bacteria, fungi, viruses, parasites, and even cancer, but the most common is bacterial meningitis. This is why it is important to know the specific cause of meningitis before commencing treatment.

Bacterial meningitis poses a serious threat to an individual’s bodily functions if not treated quickly and can cause life-threatening blood infections (septicemia), resulting in permanent damage to the brain or nerves.

Several types of vaccination can protect one from meningitis.

Types of Meningitis

Bacterial Meningitis

This is an extremely serious disease that can affect anyone and needs medical attention immediately after diagnosis. It can be life-threatening or lead to brain damage if treatment is evaded.

Bacterial meningitis can be caused by several kinds of bacteria:

• Streptococcus pneumonia (pneumococcus)
• Neisseria meningitidis (meningococcus)
• Group B Streptococcus
• Haemophilus influenzae
• Listeria monocytogenes (common in older persons, pregnant women, or people with immune system disorders)
• Escherichia coli

In most cases, bacterial meningitis starts when bacteria get into the bloodstream from the throat, ears, or sinuses; which then travels through the bloodstream into the brain. The bacteria that cause meningitis can spread when people who are infected cough or sneeze.

Babies are at increased risk for bacterial meningitis compared to people in other age groups. However, people of any age can develop bacterial meningitis.

Mode of Transmission

According to the World Health Organization, the bacteria that cause meningitis are transmitted from person to person through droplets of respiratory/throat secretions from carriers. Close and prolonged contact – such as kissing, sneezing, coughing on someone, or living in close quarters with an infected person, facilitates the spread of the disease. The average incubation period is 4 days but can range between 2 and 10 days.

Viral Meningitis

Viral meningitis is a type of meningitis that is caused by a virus. It is the most common type of meningitis. Several viruses can cause the disease, yet most people get better on their own without treatment (especially if they have been vaccinated). Babies who are younger than 1 month old, people with weak immune systems, and children below the age of 5 years are more likely to have a severe illness from viral meningitis.

Fungal Meningitis

This is a less common form of meningitis, unlike its bacterial or viral form. People who tend to be healthy rarely get this disease, which is why the people most likely to get this type of meningitis are individuals with weak immune systems (AIDS).

Parasitic Meningitis

Another rare meningitis is parasitic. It is caused by parasites that infect animals, which in turn infect humans once they eat these infected animals.

Individuals can be infected when eating animals such as; snails, slugs, fish, snakes, or poultry that have been infected by the parasites, their eggs, or products that contain parasite eggs. The risk is even higher when raw or undercooked foods are consumed.

Parasitic meningitis cannot be passed from one human to another.

Tuberculous Meningitis

Tuberculous meningitis is a type of meningitis characterized by inflammation of the meninges around the spinal cord or brain. It is caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TBM). It is also a rare condition that occurs in persons who have or have had tuberculosis (TB) (developing in 1% - 5% of the approximate 10 million cases of TB globally), especially miliary tuberculosis. TBM can occur in any person of any age but is more common in children between ages 1 – 5 years.

TB is a common cause of meningitis (and the most common cause of chronic meningitis) in endemic areas worldwide, particularly among patients co-infected with HIV

Tuberculous Meningitis involves the central nervous system. Headaches and behavioral changes may be noticed initially. Fever, headache, a stiff neck, and vomiting may also occur. Symptoms among older children and adults may progress from irritability to confusion, drowsiness, and stupor, possibly leading to a coma.

If left untreated, this disease can lead to seizures, hydrocephalus (accumulation of fluid in the brain cavity), deafness, mental retardation, paralysis of one side of the body (hemiparesis), and other neurological abnormalities.

Treatment with antibiotics and other medication is usually effective against the infection.

Amoebic Meningitis

Amoebic meningitis or primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) is a rare fatal brain infection that is caused by a single-celled living amoeba called the Naegleria fowleri. This amoeba lives in worms or soil, fresh water (not salty water) which can only be seen through a microscope.

People usually get infected when they swim in waters where this amoeba lives, but not by drinking the water. Yet, this meningitis is not contagious.

Non-Infectious Meningitis

Non-infectious meningitis is a disease that is caused by non-contagious pathogens such as lupus or cancer, brain surgery, head injury, or by taking certain medications. It is not contagious and does not spread from one person to another.