More about meningitis

Posted on 28 December 2019

Meningitis is the infection and inflammation of the membranes (meninges) that surround the brain. Bacterial meningitis can be fatal for babies and young children. Discover more about meningitis in this article.

Meningitis is an umbrella term for five types of the disease, each classified by its underlying cause. As Dr Jonathan Buckley, a paediatrician at Mediclinic Constantiaberg explains, viral and bacterial meningitis are most common. The other three types are parasitic meningitis, fungal meningitis and non-infective or aseptic meningitis.

“The symptoms of viral meningitis are almost indistinguishable from those of bacterial meningitis,” Dr Buckley says. “It is vital that if children have a fever, severe headaches, are vomiting, complaining of a painful neck and are sensitive to light, they are immediately taken to see a doctor.”

He adds that bacterial meningitis is generally spread either via direct physical contact with a person carrying specific bacteria that can cause meningitis, or through droplets spread (meaning the bacteria are breathed in). “It’s important to note that although babies can contract meningitis from their mothers during birth, most people who come into contact with a person with meningitis will not develop the illness,” he says.

Viral meningitis is spread in the same way that bacterial meningitis is spread. “Fungal meningitis is contracted if children breathe in fungal spores that then spread from the lungs to the brain or to the spine,” says Dr Buckley, adding that it is rare. Your child could contract parasitic meningitis if they eat contaminated food, while aseptic meningitis is usually caused by certain viruses.

“Symptoms of bacterial meningitis include a fever, generally higher than 38 degrees Celsius, a severe headache that doesn’t respond to general analgesics, vomiting, neck stiffness and photophobia (sensitivity to light),” Dr Buckley says.

He explains that the most important treatment for bacterial meningitis is the early administration of the correct antibiotic. “The choice of antibiotic depends mostly on age and whether your child/baby has been at home or in hospital for a prolonged period. The treatment for viral meningitis is supportive and includes analgesia for severe headaches, medication to stop vomiting and intravenous fluids in cases of dehydration. For a few types of viral meningitis, anti-viral medications are available,” Dr Buckley adds. For example, Aciclovir is administered for herpes meningitis.

As a parent, the best step you can take to prevent your child from contracting meningitis is to vaccinate.