Meningitis is an inflammation of the membranes and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) that encases and bathes the brain and

spinal cord. Meningitis is a serious disease that includes several types. These include bacterial meningitis, acute bacterial meningitis, viral meningitis,aseptic meningitis and chronic meningitis. Meningitis is a serious disease that can be life-threatening and result in permanent complications, such as coma, shock, and death. Acute meningitiscaused by a bacteria is called acute bacterial meningitis and develops very quickly in a matter of hours or days. Acute bacterial meningitis is generally the most serious type of meningitis. One serious form of acute bacterial meningitis is caused by the bacterium Neisseria meningitidis, which causes a type of acute meningitis called meningococcal disease.

In contrast chronic meningitis takes weeks or months to develop and can be the result of side effects of certain drugs, such a chemotherapy, a viral infection or a bacterial infection as well.

Viral meningitis is caused by a virus and can be acute or chronic. Aseptic meningitis is often caused by a viral infection, but can also be cause by a bacterial infection, certain drugs, or reactions to a vaccine.

The pathogens that can cause many forms of meningitis are carried by humans in the nose and throat and are spread into the air by coughing and/or sneezing. Once pathogens are airborne, they can be picked up by anyone who breathes them into their respiratory tract. The pathogens then spread from the respiratory tract to the blood stream and to the nervous system.

Symptoms of meningitis include a high fever and stiff neck. Serious complications can occur, especially with acute bacterial meningitis. In some cases death can happen in a matter of days. For more information on symptoms and complications, refer to symptoms of meningitis.

Making a diagnosis of meningitis begins with taking a thorough personal and family medical history, including symptoms, and completing a physical examination. Diagnostic tests include a lumbar puncture, also called a spinal tap, which involves withdrawing a small sample of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from the spine with a needle. The sample of CSF is tested for white blood cells and other indications of meningitis.

A complete blood count (CBC) is also performed is measure the numbers of different types of blood cells, including white blood cells (WBCs). Different types of WBCs increase in number in characteristic ways during an infectious process, such as in infectious meningitis.

Additional tests may be performed in order to rule out or confirm other diseases that may accompany meningitis or cause similar symptoms, such as high fever, headache, and neck stiffness. These may include a throat culture, CT, or X-rays.

It is possible that a diagnosis of meningitis can be missed or delayed because some symptoms, such as fever, headache, and nausea and vomiting, are similar to symptoms of other diseases. For more information on misdiagnosis, refer to misdiagnosis of meningitis.

Treatment of meningitis varies depending on the type of meningitis. Treatment of acute bacterial meningitis includes hospitalization, generally in an intensive care setting, and intravenous administration of antibiotics. For more information on treatment, refer to treatment of meningitis....more

Meningitis: Meningitis is a serious infection of one of the membranes that surrounds the brain. This section addresses what conditions meningitis can be a symptom or complication of. For the symptoms of meningitis...more