How meningitis is transmitted from person to person

Other names: inflammation of the meninges.

Brief description: it is an inflammatory lesion of the meninges of the brain

Incubation period: depends on the causative agent: for example, diseases caused by meningococcus, it is 2-10 days, in the case of pneumococcus – 1-3 days

Contagious meningitis: Yes

Meningitis is a very dangerous disease, especially for the pediatric population. In view of this, it is not surprising that many people are interested in the question how is meningitis than viral meningitis differs from bacterial, which is fraught with the complications of this infectious disease, etc.

Bacterial and viral meningitis – what is it?

Disease, often caused by viruses (viral meningitis), bacteria (bacterial), and other microorganisms, at least – certain medications (anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics and intravenous immunoglobulins).

Transmission of the bacteria causing the disease is represented by two routes: either blood, or spread directly from the surrounding region (nasal cavity, paranasal sinuses, pharynx), sometimes in the intracranial space of the bacteria can be transmitted due to the injury. There is a strong inflammatory response, the accumulation of fluid in the cranial cavity and brain swelling. This restricts the blood flow to the brain, leading to neuronal death.

Viral meningitis is mainly spread through the air droplets.

General symptom

Common symptoms of the disease include the following symptoms:

• severe headache,
• cramps (spasm, contraction of the muscles of the neck),
• the inability to tilt your head,
• high temperature,
• sensitivity to light,
• intolerance of loud sounds.

  

In the case of the causative agent of meningococcal disease is characterized by pink or red spots on the skin, caused by bleeding in the skin (petechiae).

Symptoms of meningitis may also occur when tumors of the meninges, and in some other diseases (e.g., sarcoidosis).

Meningococcal meningitis

This disease is caused by the bacterium Neisseria meningitidis (meningococcus). In some people occurs as part of the microbial flora of the nasopharynx (about 10-20% of the population). Why sometimes comes to the growth of bacteria and their penetration into the blood and then into the brain, is unknown. Transmission to another person occurs at close contact with the media (the bacteria are released into the environment through droplets when sneezing, coughing, etc.).

Symptoms include:

• rigidity of the neck muscles,
• headache,
• vomiting,
• high temperature.

Despite timely treatment, 5-10% of patients the disease is fatal in 24 to 48 hours after the onset of symptoms. The disease can lead to irreversible brain damage.

Bacterial meningitis

Often starts like the common cold and the flu experience the following symptoms:

• elevated temperature,
• loss of appetite,
• muscle and joint pain, etc.

The clinical picture of bacterial meningitis (stiff neck, headaches, vomiting, high temperature, etc.) develops within several hours after infection. Infection can lead to swelling of the brain and permanent damage. This disease has the most challenging course in infants and young children.

Clinical picture

Newborns clinic often dull and almost always nonspecific. Clinical symptoms include:

• poor appetite,
• lethargy,
• apathy or, on the contrary irritability,
• dyspnoea,
• fever orhypothermia,
• convulsion,
• the bulge of the Fontanelle,
• pallor,
• shock,
• hypotension,
• weeping,
• scream,
• hypoglycemia,
• resistant metabolic acidosis.

Infants and children show symptoms such as:

• stiff neck,
• opisthotonos,
• the bulge of the Fontanelle,
• convulsion,
• photophobia,
• headache,
• lethargy or irritability,
• loss of appetite,
• nausea,
• vomiting,
• fever or hypothermia.

In bacterial meningitis, directly, disease is often preceded by a viral infection of the upper respiratory tract. People may have a different infectious focus, as a consequence, diagnosis of infectious meningitis may get much worse. Typical is the so-called meningeal syndrome, occurring mainly in the age group of children > 1 year. Uncharacteristic is his manifestation in children of early age. The syndrome is characterized by the following symptoms:

• vomiting,
• impairment of consciousness,
• symptoms of irritation of the front and rear spinal roots.

Virus meningitis

Infectious agents of this disease include:

• enteroviruses (Coxsackie, polio virus),
• herpes viruses (H. simplex, H. zoster, cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr),
• respiratory viruses (and other pneumovirus),
• arboviruses (encephalitis virus),
• paramyxoviruses (influenza, parainfluenza),
• viruses parainfectious etiology (HIV, mumps, varicella, rabies).

Viral meningitis is transmitted in most cases by droplets.

Clinical picture

1 phase. Manifestations

• fever,
• headache,
• general weakness,
• flu-like symptoms.

2 phase. Latency (3-7 days)

Regression of symptoms lasts 2-5 days, there is a feeling full health.

3 phase. Neuroinfection

• fever,
• headache, aggravated by,
• pain behind the eyes,
• weakness,
• dizziness,
• nausea,
• vomiting,
• intense reactions to light and noise,
• fatigue,
• tiredness even after minor physical or mental stress,
• less attention,
• memory impairment,
• the double vision,
• sleep disorder.

In severe forms of the disease can occur disturbance of consciousness, spastic paresis, local and generalized seizures, and mental disorders.

Treatment

Causal therapy is used in the case of the presence of HIV, herpes and bacterial. Symptomatic treatment is indicated for control of cerebral edema, headaches and reduce fever.

Complications

Complications include the following characteristics:

• slight swelling of the brain,
• pain in the spine,
• urinary retention,
• constipation,
• loss of appetite,
• weakness.

More serious complications include:

• paralysis,
• convulsion,
• deafness,
• disturbances of consciousness,
• necrosis of brain parenchyma.

The consequences of meningitis

The most common effects include:

• headache,
• sleep disturbances, attention and memory,
• easy fatigability,
• emotional lability.

These symptoms can last for weeks, months and even years.

In addition, you may experience of Central and peripheral paresis dementional type in elderly people, infants and preschool children – psychomotor retardation.

Drug therapy is headache with meningitis

1. Simple analgesics (aspirin, Panadol, Paracetamol).
2. Combination analgesics (with caffeine – Azmeen with codeine – Corian, prokinetics – Tarakan, Dagan).
3. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Ibalgin, Brufen).
4. Preparations of ergot.
5. Triptan (Sumatriptan, Zolmitriptan).

Vulnerable group

Risk groups include children (most cases of viral meningitis occur in children under 5 years) people, often residing in groups (students in the campus, the soldiers in barracks, children in kindergarten), because a large concentration of people contributes to the spread in the first place, meningococcus and people with a weakened immune system.