Meningitis
What is meningitis ?
Meningitis means inflammation (painful swelling) of the lining of the brain.
How is it caused ?
Meningitis is caused by a variety of organisms—bacteria or viruses.
Without hospital tests however it is not possible to identify the type of organism.
How serious is it ?
Bacterial meningitis although fortunately still quite a rare disease is a very serious infection and needs to be recognised and treated urgently with antibiotics to prevent severe disability or sometimes death.
Three main forms of bacterial meningitis occur:
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Meningococcal,
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Pneumococcal and
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HIB (Meningitis due to Haemophilus Influenzae type B).
Meningitis due to HIB and Meningococcal Group C are becoming much less common due to the vaccination programmes.
Viral meningitis is generally more common, less serious and does not usually need antibiotic treatment.
If meningitis is diagnosed early enough, most people will fully recover. However, in a few cases it may lead to permanent disability such as deafness or brain damage.
Everyone should be aware of the signs and symptoms of meningitis and/or meningococcal disease which may include a combination of the following:
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Rash (bruising under the skin)
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Fever / vomiting
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Cold hands and feet
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Rapid breathing
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Stomach / joint / muscle pain / stiff neck
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Drowsiness
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Headache
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Dislike of bright lights
What should you do if you think it might be meningitis ?
Seek immediate medical attention by contacting your GP (or if not available the local accident and emergency department); state clearly why you are concerned; describe the features that you have noticed in the patient. Be prepared to insist; if it is bacterial meningitis, early treatment with antibiotics is vital if the patient’s life is to be saved.
How is meningitis spread ?
Meningitis is spread by droplets that occur when people who have the germ in the back of the nose and throat sneeze, kiss or cough. Outside the body the bacteria quickly die, so close and quite long contact is needed, e.g. as in households.
What can be done to limit the spread ?
In some types of bacterial meningitis a short course of antibiotics is offered to close contacts of the patient to prevent further cases. It is unusual to give antibiotics to contacts outside of the household setting.
Is a vaccine available ?
There are many causes of meningitis and some forms of meningitis can be prevented by immunisation. For example, HIB and Meningitis C vaccine is now routinely given to babies during second, third and fourth months of age.
FURTHER INFORMATION
This page gives general information.
If you require further details, please contact :
Kennet District Council Environmental Health Tel : 01380 724911
Wiltshire Health Protection Agency Tel : 01380 732599
Your GP