Meningitis

On this page

Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Diagnosis and Tests
• Prevention and Risk Factors

Learn More

• Related Issues
• Specifics

See, Play and Learn

• Images

Research

• Statistics and Research
• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Find an Expert

For You

• Children
• Teenagers
• Women
• Patient Handouts

Summary

Meningitis is inflammation of the thin tissue that surrounds the brain and spinal cord, called the meninges. There are several types of meningitis. The most common is viral meningitis. You get it when a virus enters the body through the nose or mouth and travels to the brain. Bacterial meningitis is rare, but can be deadly. It usually starts with bacteria that cause a cold-like infection. It can cause stroke, hearing loss, and brain damage. It can also harm other organs. Pneumococcal infections and meningococcal infections are the most common causes of bacterial meningitis.

Anyone can get meningitis, but it is more common in people with weak immune systems. Meningitis can get serious very quickly. You should get medical care right away if you have:

• A sudden high fever
• A severe headache
• A stiff neck
• Nausea or vomiting

Early treatment can help prevent serious problems, including death. Tests to diagnose meningitis include blood tests, imaging tests, and a spinal tap to test cerebrospinal fluid. Antibiotics can treat bacterial meningitis. Antiviral medicines may help some types of viral meningitis. Other medicines can help treat symptoms.

There are vaccines to prevent some of the bacterial infections that cause meningitis.

NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

Start Here

• Inflamed Brain: Recognizing Encephalitis and Meningitis (National Institutes of Health) Also in Spanish
• Meningitis (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
• Meningitis Myths and Facts (National Foundation for Infectious Diseases)

Diagnosis and Tests

• Bacteria Culture Test (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) Analysis (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Nasal Swab (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Procalcitonin Test (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Spinal Tap (Lumbar Puncture) (Nemours Foundation)
• Ultrasound: Head (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Prevention and Risk Factors

• Haemophilus Influenzae Type b (Hib) Vaccine: What You Need to Know (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF Also in Spanish
• Meningococcal ACWY Vaccines - MenACWY and MPSV4: What You Need to Know (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF Also in Spanish
• Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV): What You Need to Know (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF Also in Spanish
• Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine: What You Need to Know (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF Also in Spanish
• Use of Vaccines to Prevent Meningitis in Persons with Cochlear Implants (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Related Issues

• Encephalitis (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
• Travelers' Health: Meningococcal Disease (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Specifics

• Arachnoiditis (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
• Bacterial Meningitis (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
• Fungal Meningitis (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
• Meningitis (World Health Organization)
• Non-Infectious Meningitis (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Parasitic Meningitis (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Subacute and Chronic Meningitis (Merck & Co., Inc.) Also in Spanish
• Viral Meningitis (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish

Images

• Meningococcal Photos (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Statistics and Research

• Treating Meningitis (American Academy of Neurology) - PDF

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Meningitis (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Meningitis, Aseptic (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Saudi Healthcare Students' Perceptions and Beliefs About Immunizations: a Descriptive, Cross-Sectional...
• Article: Antibacterial efficacy of synthesized silver nanoparticles of Microbacterium proteolyticum LA2(R) and...
• Article: Comparative analysis of diagnostic methods for the detection of Cryptococcus neoformans...
• Meningitis -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
• National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Also in Spanish

Children

• Meningitis (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Risk of Bacterial Meningitis in Children with Cochlear Implants (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish

Teenagers

• Meningitis (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Women

• Meningococcal Disease (Bacterial Meningitis) Vaccine and Pregnancy (Organization of Teratology Information Specialists) - PDF Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

• Cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) collection (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Cerebrospinal fluid culture (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Gram-negative meningitis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Meningitis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Meningitis - cryptococcal (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Meningitis - H. influenzae (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Meningococcal ACWY Vaccines - MenACWY and MPSV4: What You Need to Know (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF Also in Spanish
• Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV): What You Need to Know (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF Also in Spanish
• Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine: What You Need to Know (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF Also in Spanish