How is meningitis caused

Antibiotics do not help viral infections, so they are not useful in the treatment of viral meningitis. However, antibiotics do fight bacteria, so they are very important when treating bacterial meningitis. People who develop severe illness, or are at risk for developing severe illness, may need care in a hospital. There are no vaccines available in the United States to protect against non-polio enteroviruses, which are the most common cause of viral meningitis.

The best way to help protect yourself and others from non-polio enterovirus infections is to. Vaccines can protect against some diseases, such as measles, mumps, chickenpox, and influenza, which can lead to viral meningitis. Make sure you and your child are vaccinated on schedule. Control mice and rats. If you have a rodent in or around your home, follow appropriate cleaning and control precautions.

Top of Page. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link. Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references Meningitis and encephalitis fact sheet. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Accessed Sept. Bacterial meningitis. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Bartt R. Acute bacterial and viral meningitis. Continuum Lifelong Learning in Neurology.

Viral meningitis. Fungal meningitis. Derber CJ, et al. Head and neck emergencies: Bacterial meningitis, encephalitis, brain abscess, upper airway obstruction, and jugular septic thrombophlebitis. Medical Clinics of North America. Longo DL, et al. Acute meningitis. In: Harrison's Principals of Internal Medicine.

McGraw Hill; Acute bacterial meningitis. Merck Manual Professional Version. Prevention — Listeriosis. Subacute and chronic meningitis. Van de Beek D, et al. Advances in treatment of bacterial meningitis. The Lancet. Here are some of the most common examples of how people spread each type of bacteria to each other:. People usually get sick from E.

Pregnant people with a Listeria infection may not have any symptoms or may only have a fever and other flu-like symptoms, such as fatigue and muscle aches. However, infection during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, premature delivery, or life-threatening infection of the newborn, including meningitis. Pregnant women can pass group B Streptococcus group B strep to their baby during delivery.

Newborns infected with group B strep can develop meningitis or other serious infections soon after birth. Talk with your doctor or midwife about getting a group B test when you are 36 through 37 weeks pregnant. Doctors give antibiotics during labor to women who test positive in order to prevent infections in newborns. Newborns and babies may not have, or it may be difficult to notice the classic symptoms listed above.

Instead, babies may. Typically, symptoms of bacterial meningitis develop within 3 to 7 days after exposure; note, this is not true for TB meningitis, which can develop much later after exposure to the bacteria. People with bacterial meningitis can have seizures, go into a coma, and even die. For this reason, anyone who thinks they may have meningitis should see a doctor as soon as possible.

If a doctor suspects meningitis, they will collect samples of blood or cerebrospinal fluid fluid near the spinal cord. A laboratory will test the samples to see what is causing the infection. You can also develop bacterial meningitis after eating certain foods containing the Listeria bacterium, such as:.

Meningitis-causing bacteria are more likely to attack the membranes of your brain after a trauma such as:. Additionally, babies and people with weak immune systems are more likely to develop bacterial meningitis. Some types of bacterial meningitis can be prevented through immunizations. There are vaccines that protect against pneumococcus, meningococcus, and Hib, all of which cause meningitis.

Vaccinations are key to the prevention of meningitis. See your doctor to make sure your vaccinations, and those of your children, are up-to-date. Bacterial meningitis can lead to severe health complications, such as stroke and brain damage. It can even be fatal. Complications of the disease are often permanent. Other serious possible complications include:. If you are experiencing symptoms of bacterial meningitis, seek medical care immediately. The disease can usually be treated with antibiotics.

If meningitis is caught early enough a patient can make a full recovery with few or no lingering effects. But the best way to combat meningitis is to prevent it through vaccination and sound health practices.