What is Meningitis?

What is Meningitis?

• Meningitis: Dangerous infection of the membranes surrounding the brain.
• Meningitis: Inflammation of the arachnoid membrane and adjacent subarachnoid space. (On-line Medical Dictionary)
  Source - Diseases Database
• Meningitis: infectious disease characterized by inflammation of the meninges (the tissues that surround the brain or spinal cord) usually caused by a bacterial infection; symptoms include headache and stiff neck and fever and nausea.
  Source - WordNet 2.1

Name and Aliases of Meningitis

Main name of condition: Meningitis

Meningo-encephalitis, Arachnoiditis, Encephalitis, Leptomeningitis Source - Diseases Database

Types of Meningitis:

Subtypes of Meningitis: Viral meningitis, Enterovirus-caused meningitis, Arbovirus-caused meningitis, Measles-caused meningitis, Mumps-caused meningitis, Chickenpox-caused meningitis, Bacterial meningitis, Meningococcal Meningitis, Pneumococcal meningitis, Hib meningitis, TB meningitis, E coli meningitis, Syphilitic meningitis, Group B Streptococcus (GBS) meningitis, Fungal meningitis, Cryptococcal Meningitis, Meningitis subtypes by area affected:, Cerebral meningitis, Spinal meningitis, Leptomeningitis
Parent types of Meningitis: Viral diseases, Bacterial diseases, Brain conditions, Brain infection, Diseases contagious from droplets, Diseases contagious from saliva

Organs Affected by Meningitis:

brain, meninges

How many people get Meningitis?

Incidence (annual) of Meningitis: approximately 25,000 cases of bacterial meningitis annually in USA; 206 annual cases in Victoria 1996 (DHS-VIC)
Incidence Rate of Meningitis: approx 1 in 10,879 or 0.01% or 25,000 people in USA [about data]

How serious is Meningitis?

Prognosis of Meningitis: Viral meningitis cases are usually self-limited to 10 days or less. Some types of meningitis can be deadly if not treated promptly. Anyone experiencing symptoms of meningitis or encephalitis should see a doctor immediately. (Source: excerpt from NINDS Encephalitis and Meningitis Information Page: NINDS) ... With early diagnosis and prompt treatment, most patients recover from meningitis. However, in some cases, the disease progresses so rapidly that death occurs during the first 48 hours, despite early treatment. (Source: excerpt from NINDS Encephalitis and Meningitis Information Page: NINDS)
Deaths for Meningitis: 850 deaths reported in USA 1999 (NVSR Sep 2001)
Complications of Meningitis: see complications of Meningitis

What causes Meningitis?

Causes of Meningitis: Meningitis may be caused by many different viruses and bacteria. (Source: excerpt from NINDS Encephalitis and Meningitis Information Page: NINDS) ... Streptococcus pneumoniae causes thousands of cases of meningitis and pneumonia, and 7 million cases of ear infection in the United States each year. (Source: excerpt from Antimicrobial Resistance, NIAID Fact Sheet: NIAID)
Class of Condition for Meningitis: viral, bacterial
Causes of Meningitis: see causes of Meningitis
Risk factors for Meningitis: see risk factors for Meningitis

What are the symptoms of Meningitis?

Incubation period for Meningitis: symptoms can develop over several hours, or they may take 1 to 2 days. (Source: excerpt from Meningococcal Disease (General): DBMD)

Can anyone else get Meningitis?

More information: see contagiousness of Meningitis

How is it treated?

Treatments for Meningitis: see treatments for Meningitis
Prevention of Meningitis: see prevention of Meningitis
Research for Meningitis: see research for Meningitis