"first reported to be effective in meningitis. The introduction in the late 20th century of ""Haemophilus"" vaccines led to a marked fall in cases of meningitis associated with this pathogen, and in 2002, evidence emerged that treatment with steroids could improve the prognosis of bacterial meningitis. World Meningitis Day is celebrated on 24 April each year. Meningitis Meningitis is an acute inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, known collectively as the meninges. The most common symptoms are fever, headache, and neck stiffness. Other symptoms include confusion or altered consciousness, vomiting, and an inability to tolerate"
"ones are the most recognizable: sore throat, runny nose, cough and sneezing. A statistic shows that on average 13,738,175 people in the United Kingdom suffer from common cold. By this number Britain has the largest number of infections of all countries in Western Europe. Meningitis is the swelling of the membranes around the spinal cord and brain most often caused by Viral and Bacterial infection which incidentally are the only two types which could be passed through contact with door handles.[1] Although relatively rare, meningitis can be life-threatening with rapidly developing symptoms. Bacterial meningitis is the deadliest form of this"
"is meningitis (inflammation of the membranes covering the brain). Ninety percent of cases of the disease are mild leptospirosis. The rest experience severe disease, which develops during the second stage or occurs as a single progressive illness. The classic form of severe leptospirosis is known as Weil's disease, which is characterized by liver damage (causing jaundice), kidney failure, and bleeding. Additionally, the heart and brain can be affected, meningitis of the outer layer of the brain, encephalitis of brain tissue with same signs and symptoms; and lung affected as the most serious and life-threatening of all leptospirosis complications. The infection"
"ear lobe, nipple, or scrotum. Various acute neurological problems, termed neuroborreliosis, appear in 10–15% of untreated people. These include facial palsy, which is the loss of muscle tone on one or both sides of the face, as well as meningitis, which involves severe headaches, neck stiffness, and sensitivity to light. Inflammation of the spinal cord's nerve roots can cause shooting pains that may interfere with sleep, as well as abnormal skin sensations. Mild encephalitis may lead to memory loss, sleep disturbances, or mood changes. In addition, some case reports have described altered mental status as the only symptom seen in"
"of bacterial meningitis. Meningitis is a disease caused by inflammation and irritation of the meninges, the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. In meningococcal meningitis this is caused by the bacteria invading the cerebrospinal fluid and circulating through the central nervous system. Sub-Saharan Africa, the Americas, Western Europe, the UK, and Ireland still face many challenges combating this disease. As with any gram-negative bacterium, ""N. meningitidis"" can infect a variety of sites. Meningococcal pneumonia can appear during influenza pandemics and in military camps. This is a multilobar, rapidly evolving pneumonia, sometimes associated with septic shock. With prompt treatment, the"
"to damage the mitochondria and produce a large scale immune response. Headache and meningismus are often signs of inflammation relayed via trigeminal sensory nerve fibers within the pia mater. Disabling neuropsychological effects are seen in up to half of bacterial meningitis survivors. Research into how bacteria invade and enter the meningeal layers is the next step in prevention of the progression of meningitis. A tumor growing from the meninges is referred to as a meningioma. Most meningiomas grow from the arachnoid mater inward applying pressure on the pia mater and therefore the brain or spinal cord. While meningiomas make up"
"migraine may cause meningitis, but this diagnosis is usually only made when other causes have been eliminated. The meninges comprise three membranes that, together with the cerebrospinal fluid, enclose and protect the brain and spinal cord (the central nervous system). The pia mater is a very delicate impermeable membrane that firmly adheres to the surface of the brain, following all the minor contours. The arachnoid mater (so named because of its spider-web-like appearance) is a loosely fitting sac on top of the pia mater. The subarachnoid space separates the arachnoid and pia mater membranes and is filled with cerebrospinal fluid."
"can cause infections that adversely affect the brain or spinal cord. A medical condition, Locked-in syndrome usually resulting from a stroke that damages part of the brainstem, in which the body and most of the facial muscles are paralysed but consciousness remains and the ability to perform certain eye movements is preserved. Meningitis is an inflammation of the meninges (membranes) of the brain and spinal cord. It is most often caused by a bacterial or viral infection. Fever, vomiting, and a stiff neck are all symptoms of meningitis. A chronic, often debilitating neurological disorder characterized by recurrent moderate to severe"
"commonly affects the large joints (knees, ankles, elbows, and wrists) but may also involve the small joints of the hands and feet. It is usually bilateral and painful. A common and characteristic feature is giant kneecaps. Severe cases may result in contractures (joint deformities). Most patients eventually have neurological problems. These manifest themselves in three principal ways: chronic meningitis, involvement of both the optic tract and eye, and sensorineural hearing loss. The chronic meningitis presents with the features of chronically raised intracranial pressure: headaches, vomiting, ventriculomegaly, hydrocephalus, macromegaly, cerebral atrophy, and optic atrophy. Some of these features may be evidenced"
"general paresis and tabes dorsalis), and optic atrophy. Meningitis inflames and breaks down any protective membrane and cells surrounding the brain, spinal cord, and other parts of the nervous system. Bacterial meningitis is normally caused by a bacterial infection that enters the bloodstream and enters the blood-brain barrier. The blood-brain barrier consists of tight junctions. These tight junctions help to enclose endothelial cells that line the brain capillaries. Only certain water-soluble substances can move across the blood-brain barrier, while lipid-soluble substances can easily move across the blood-brain barrier. However, when any form of bacteria gets through to the blood-brain barrier,"
"may be affected. The symptoms will mimic those of space-occupying lesions. Blood-borne spread certainly occurs, presumably by crossing the blood–brain barrier; but a proportion of patients may get TB meningitis from rupture of a cortical focus in the brain; an even smaller proportion get it from rupture of a bony focus in the spine. The pathophysiology of tuberculous meningitis has bacilli root itself to the brain parenchyma, which causes the formation of small subpial focus. Then there is an increase in size of Rich focus until rupture. Tubercles rupture in subarachnoid area causes meningitis. Diagnosis of TB meningitis is made"
"Neonatal meningitis Neonatal meningitis is a serious medical condition in infants. Meningitis is an inflammation of the meninges (the protective membranes of the central nervous system (CNS)) and is more common in the neonatal period (infants less than 44 days old) than any other time in life and is an important cause of morbidity and mortality globally. Mortality is roughly half in developing countries and ranges from 8%-12.5% in developed countries. Symptoms seen with neonatal meningitis are often unspecific that may point to several conditions, such as sepsis (whole body inflammation). These can include fever, irritability, and dyspnea. The only"
"10 victims of meningococcal meningitis will die; however, about as many survivors of the disease lose a limb or their hearing, or suffer permanent brain damage. The sepsis type of infection is much more deadly, and results in a severe blood poisoning called meningococcal sepsis that affects the entire body. In this case, bacterial toxins rupture blood vessels and can rapidly shut down vital organs. Within hours, patient's health can change from seemingly good to mortally ill. The ""N. meningitidis"" bacterium is surrounded by a slimy outer coat that contains disease-causing endotoxin. While many bacteria produce endotoxin, the levels produced"
"giving antibiotics and sometimes antiviral drugs. Corticosteroids can also be used to prevent complications from excessive inflammation. Meningitis can lead to serious long-term consequences such as deafness, epilepsy, hydrocephalus, or cognitive deficits, especially if not treated quickly. In 2015 meningitis occurred in about 8.7 million people worldwide. This resulted in 379,000 deaths – down from 464,000 deaths in 1990. With appropriate treatment the risk of death in bacterial meningitis is less than 15%. Outbreaks of bacterial meningitis occur between December and June each year in an area of sub-Saharan Africa known as the meningitis belt. Smaller outbreaks may also occur"
"known to occur epidemically, mainly Africa and Asia. It occurs worldwide in both epidemic and endemic form. ""N. meningitidis"" is spread through saliva and respiratory secretions during coughing, sneezing, kissing, chewing on toys and even through sharing a source of fresh water. It infects its host cells by sticking to them with long thin extensions called pili and the surface-exposed proteins Opa and Opc and has several virulence factors. Meningococcus can cause meningitis and other forms of meningococcal disease. It initially produces general symptoms like fatigue, fever, and headache and can rapidly progress to neck stiffness, coma and death in"
"Meninges The meninges (, ""singular:"" meninx ( or ), from , ""adjectival:"" meningeal ) are the three membranes that envelop the brain and spinal cord. In mammals, the meninges are the dura mater, the arachnoid mater, and the pia mater. Cerebrospinal fluid is located in the subarachnoid space between the arachnoid mater and the pia mater. The primary function of the meninges is to protect the central nervous system. The dura mater () (also rarely called ""meninx fibrosa"" or ""pachymeninx"") is a thick, durable membrane, closest to the skull and vertebrae. The dura mater, the outermost part, is a loosely"
"a subpial space underneath the pia mater that separates it from the glia limitans. Injuries involving the meninges, can result in a hemorrhage and two types of hematoma. Other medical conditions that affect the meninges include meningitis (usually from a fungal, bacterial, or viral infection) and meningiomas that arise from the meninges, or from meningeal carcinomatoses (tumors) that form elsewhere in the body and metastasize to the meninges. In fish, there is a single membrane known as the primitive meninx. Amphibians, and reptiles have two meninges, and birds and mammals have three. In the early 1900s, Giuseppe Sterzi, an Italian"
"prognosis is excellent. Another alternative is dexamethasone with vancomycin and meropenem. Pericarditis can appear, either as a septic pericarditis with grave prognosis or as a reactive pericarditis in the wake of meningitis or septicaemia. Meningococcal disease causes life-threatening meningitis and sepsis conditions. In the case of meningitis, bacteria attack the lining between the brain and skull called the meninges. Infected fluid from the meninges then passes into the spinal cord, causing symptoms including stiff neck, fever and rashes. The meninges (and sometimes the brain itself) begin to swell, which affects the central nervous system. Even with antibiotics, approximately 1 in"
"to its virulence. Infection starts in lungs, disseminates via blood to meninges and then to other parts of the body. Capsule inhibits phagocytosis. Can cause a systemic infection, including fatal meningitis known as ""meningoencephalitis"" in normal, diabetic and immunocompromised hosts. The infection from ""C. neoformans"" in the brain can be fatal if untreated. CNS (central nervous system) infection may also be present as a brain abscess known as ""cryptococcomas"", subdural effusion, dementia, isolated cranial nerve lesion, spinal cord lesion, and ischemic stroke. If cryptococcal meningitis occurs, mortality rate is between 10–30%. Cryptococcosis that does not affect the central nervous system"
"subsequent extension in the knee is painful (leading to resistance). This may indicate subarachnoid hemorrhage or meningitis. Patients may also show opisthotonus—spasm of the whole body that leads to legs and head being bent back and body bowed forward. Jozef Brudzinski (1874–1917), a Polish pediatrician, is credited with several signs in meningitis. The most commonly used sign (Brudzinski's neck sign) is positive when the forced flexion of the neck elicits a reflex flexion of the hips, with the patient lying supine. Other signs attributed to Brudzinski: Meningism Meningism, also called meningismus or pseudomeningitis, is a set of symptoms similar to"
"had caused deafness. Often, meningitis itself caused deafness. The first instance found in favour of the plaintiff, but this was overturned by the Court of Appeal. In the House of Lords the plaintiff argued, the overdose increased the risk of neurological damage. Deafness was damage of the same type, therefore the defendants should be liable. Lord Keith demonstrated grasp of medical knowledge by describing the facts somewhat more elaborately. ""Meningitis is a disease which causes inflammation of one or more of the three membranes which envelop the central nervous system consisting of the brain and spinal chord. The three membranes"
"in other areas of the world. The word meningitis is from Greek μῆνιγξ ""meninx"", ""membrane"" and the medical suffix ""-itis"", ""inflammation"". In adults, the most common symptom of meningitis is a severe headache, occurring in almost 90% of cases of bacterial meningitis, followed by neck stiffness (the inability to flex the neck forward passively due to increased neck muscle tone and stiffness). The classic triad of diagnostic signs consists of nuchal rigidity, sudden high fever, and altered mental status; however, all three features are present in only 44–46% of bacterial meningitis cases. If none of the three signs are present,"
"they enter the subarachnoid space in places where the blood–brain barrier is vulnerable—such as the choroid plexus. Meningitis occurs in 25% of newborns with bloodstream infections due to group B streptococci; this phenomenon is less common in adults. Direct contamination of the cerebrospinal fluid may arise from indwelling devices, skull fractures, or infections of the nasopharynx or the nasal sinuses that have formed a tract with the subarachnoid space (see above); occasionally, congenital defects of the dura mater can be identified. The large-scale inflammation that occurs in the subarachnoid space during meningitis is not a direct result of bacterial infection"
"viral infection, such as muscle aches and malaise. Increased cranial pressure from viral meningitis stimulates the area postrema, which causes nausea and vomiting. Photophobia is due to meningeal irritation. In severe cases, people may experience concomitant encephalitis (meningoencephalitis), which is suggested by symptoms such as altered mental status, seizures or focal neurologic deficits. Babies with viral meningitis may only appear irritable, sleepy or have trouble eating. In severe cases, people may experience concomitant encephalitis (meningoencephalitis), which is suggested by symptoms such as altered mental status, seizures or focal neurologic deficits. The pediatric population may show some additional signs and symptoms"
"Neisseria meningitidis Neisseria meningitidis, often referred to as meningococcus, is a Gram-negative bacterium that can cause meningitis and other forms of meningococcal disease such as meningococcemia, a life-threatening sepsis. The bacterium is referred to as a coccus because it is round, and more specifically, diplococcus because of its tendency to form pairs. About 10% of adults are carriers of the bacteria in their nasopharynx. As an exclusively human pathogen it is the main cause of bacterial meningitis in children and young adults, causing developmental impairment and death in about 10% of cases. It causes the only form of bacterial meningitis"
"Meningism Meningism, also called meningismus or pseudomeningitis, is a set of symptoms similar to those of meningitis but not caused by meningitis. Whereas meningitis is inflammation of the meninges (membranes that cover the central nervous system), meningism is caused by nonmeningitic irritation of the meninges, usually associated with acute febrile illness, especially in children and adolescents. Meningism involves the triad (3-symptom syndrome) of nuchal rigidity (neck stiffness), photophobia (intolerance of bright light) and headache. It therefore requires differentiating from other CNS problems with similar symptoms, including meningitis and some types of intracranial hemorrhage. Related clinical signs include Kernig's sign and"
"maneuver"" helps determine whether meningitis is present in those reporting fever and headache. A person is asked to rapidly rotate the head horizontally; if this does not make the headache worse, meningitis is unlikely. Other problems can produce symptoms similar to those above, but from non-meningitic causes. This is called meningism or pseudomeningitis. Meningitis caused by the bacterium ""Neisseria meningitidis"" (known as ""meningococcal meningitis"") can be differentiated from meningitis with other causes by a rapidly spreading petechial rash, which may precede other symptoms. The rash consists of numerous small, irregular purple or red spots (""petechiae"") on the trunk, lower extremities,"
"in people with an impaired immune system. An infection in the head and neck area, such as otitis media or mastoiditis, can lead to meningitis in a small proportion of people. Recipients of cochlear implants for hearing loss are more at risk for pneumococcal meningitis. Tuberculous meningitis, which is meningitis caused by ""Mycobacterium tuberculosis"", is more common in people from countries in which tuberculosis is endemic, but is also encountered in persons with immune problems, such as AIDS. Recurrent bacterial meningitis may be caused by persisting anatomical defects, either congenital or acquired, or by disorders of the immune system. Anatomical"
"The outermost membrane, the dura mater, is a thick durable membrane, which is attached to both the arachnoid membrane and the skull. In bacterial meningitis, bacteria reach the meninges by one of two main routes: through the bloodstream or through direct contact between the meninges and either the nasal cavity or the skin. In most cases, meningitis follows invasion of the bloodstream by organisms that live upon mucous surfaces such as the nasal cavity. This is often in turn preceded by viral infections, which break down the normal barrier provided by the mucous surfaces. Once bacteria have entered the bloodstream,"
"the meningeal inflammation in an attempt to reduce risk of mortality and reduce the possibility of brain damage. Survivors of ""Haemophilus"" meningitis may experience permanent damage caused by inflammation around the brain, mostly involving neurological disorders. Long-term complications include brain damage, hearing loss, and mental disability. Other possible long-term effects are reduced IQ, cerebral palsy, and the development of seizures. Children that survive the disease are more often held back in school, and are more likely to require special education services. Negative long-term effects are more likely in subjects whose treatments were delayed, as well as in subjects who were"
"herpes. Symptoms of meningitis caused by an acute viral infection last between one and two weeks. When aseptic meningitis is caused by cytomegalovirus 20 percent of individuals face mortality or morbidity. If left untreated it can affect an individuals hearing and learning abilities. The most common cause of aseptic meningitis is a viral infection, specifically by enteroviruses. In fact, 90 percent of all meningitis cases that are viral are caused by enteroviruses. Other viruses that may cause aseptic meningitis are varicella zoster virus, herpes, and mumps. Other causes may include mycobacteria, fungi, spirochetes, and complications from HIV. Side effects of"
"defects allow continuity between the external environment and the nervous system. The most common cause of recurrent meningitis is a skull fracture, particularly fractures that affect the base of the skull or extend towards the sinuses and petrous pyramids. Approximately 59% of recurrent meningitis cases are due to such anatomical abnormalities, 36% are due to immune deficiencies (such as complement deficiency, which predisposes especially to recurrent meningococcal meningitis), and 5% are due to ongoing infections in areas adjacent to the meninges. Viruses that cause meningitis include enteroviruses, herpes simplex virus (generally type 2, which produces most genital sores; less commonly"
"Meningeal syphilis Meningeal syphilis (as known as syphilitic aseptic meningitis or meningeal neurosyphilis) is a chronic form of syphilis infection that affects the central nervous system. Treponema pallidum, which is a spirochate bacterium, is the main cause of syphilis, which spreads drastically throughout the body and can infect all the systems of the body if not treated appropriately. The bacterium is the main cause of the onset of meningeal syphilis and other treponemal diseases, and it consists of a cytoplasmic and outer membrane that can cause a diverse array of diseases in the central nervous system and brain. Early symptomatic"