What is Bacterial Meningitis?

Bacterial Meningitis: inflammation of the meninges (Meninges are 3 layers of membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord) caused by viral or bacterial infection and marked by intense headache and fever, sensitivity to light, and muscular rigidity, leading (in severe cases) to convulsions, delirium, and death.

Infectious Agent

Before the 1990s, Haemophilus influenzae was the leading cause of bacterial meningitis, but new vaccines being given to all children as part of their routine immunizations have reduced the occurrence of invasive disease due to H. influenzae. Today, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Neisseria meningitidis are the leading causes of bacterial meningitis. The good news is that Neisseria meningitides and other bacterial agents of meningitis are fragile organisms that do not survive easily in the environment.

Reservoirs

The bacteria are transmitted from person-to-person through droplets of respiratory or throat secretions from carriers. Close and prolonged contact – such as kissing, sneezing or coughing on someone, or living in close quarters (such as a dormitory, sharing eating or drinking utensils) with an infected person (a carrier) – facilitates the spread of the disease. The average incubation period is 4 days, but can range between 2 and 10 days.

Portal of exit and portal of entry

The portal of exit is the nose and the portal of entry is the upper respiratory track

Means of transmission

Can be transmitted directly; touching, kissing, coughing, sneezing etc. Can also be transmitted indirectly.

Susceptible host

Affects mostly small children and young adults. Children between the ages of one month and two years are the most susceptible to bacterial meningitis. Adults with certain risk factors are also susceptible. You are at higher risk if you abuse alcohol, have chronic nose and ear infections, sustain a head injury or get pneumococcal pneumonia. You are also at higher risk if you have a weakened immune system, have had your spleen removed, are on corticosteroids because of kidney failure or have a sickle cell disease. Additionally, if you have had brain or spinal surgery or have had a widespread blood infection you are also a higher risk for bacterial meningitis. Outbreaks of bacterial meningitis also occur in living situations where you are in close contact with others, such as college dormitories or military barracks.

Symptoms, treatment, and how to prevent.

Symptoms include pain in back, muscles, and neck. Whole body chills, fatigue, fever, loss of appetite, malaise, or shivering also rashes or blotchy spots on skin. Nausea, vomitting, fast breathing, fast heart rate, fear of loud sounds, irritability, lack of interest in feeding in infants, lethargy, light sensitivity, headache, stiff neck, mental confusion, sleepiness, sluggishness, or stiff back.

Depending on how serious the case is the infected may be at life threatening risk, they may need immidiate antibiotic treatment, or mengitis could get better on its own overtime. Antibiotics by injection: Vancomycin, Ceftriaxone (Rocephin), Meropenem, Ceftazidime (Fortaz), Cefepime (Maxipime), Cefotaxime (Claforan), Ampicillin Steroids: Dexamethasone by injection, Also common Oxygen therapy.

You can prevent yourself from getting meningitis by washing your hands, having good hygiene, staying healthy, covering your mouth, and if you are pregnant eating good food.