What causes viral and bacterial meningitis?

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My mother had it when she was pregnant with me. I've always wondered what causes it. Does anybody know? If you don't know, please don't answer. I don't want info from websites, I want to hear from real people. Thank you! =)
She had bacterial meningitis
Meningitis can be viral, bacterial, fungal or parasitic.

What causes viral? Most are caused by enteroviruses.

What causes bacterial? Usually Neisseria meningitis, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae.

Perhaps what you really meant to ask was how does someone get meningitis? With the viral form, when meningitis is diagnosed, there is often another viral infection going on, such as mumps or herpes. Enteroviruses are more common during the summer and fall.

With the bacterial form, the bacteria that causes it can live in the mouth without causing problems but if for any reason the body immune system breaks down, these opportunistic bacteria move in and multiply. Bacterial meningitis is nearly always caused by an infection that originates somewhere else in the body.  (+ info)

How long do I have to wait to donate blood after having viral meningitis?

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What is viral meningitis? And how contagious is it?

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How do you get viral meningitis?
According to the experts, it is not very contagious. The quote is from the first source.

"Is a person with viral meningitis contagious?

Enteroviruses, which cause most cases of viral meningitis, are contagious. Fortunately, most people exposed to these viruses experience mild or no symptoms. Most people are exposed to these viruses at some time in their lives, but less than 1 in every 1000 persons infected actually develop meningitis. The viruses that are spread by mosquitoes are rarely spread from person to person (see Arboviral Infections fact sheet)."  (+ info)

How many cases of viral meningitis are there per year?

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Please also include deaths in USA (if any) and a source.
THANKS
My very good friend's son went to SUNY Oswego. He was 18 years old. He died of viral meningitis this year. It was the saddest thing I ever saw. He died so fast.  (+ info)

My son may have drank after a person who has viral meningitis what symptoms should I watch for?

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Also my son regularly drinks out of my cup so I actually may have been exposed that way too. Should I tryto keep my older son away from my four month old?
viral meningitis is usually harmless in children over 2 months old and otherwise healthy individuals. Bacterial meningitis is the big killer. Usually with viral, just cold symptoms and fever, you can give tylenol. Go to the doctor if symptoms are extreme or you get worried.  (+ info)

Medical Question about Viral Meningitis symptoms, could someone help?

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My symptoms:
one week before this all started i had a normal cold..then i got better and started having head aches two days neck back after two days, ache pains, fever, no sore throat till 7 days after those symptoms. dr said it was viral meningitis. could this be it? i read online that the only way to tell you have meningitis is from a spinal tap, is it true?
viral meningitis, is most often spread through direct contact with respiratory secretions (e.g., saliva, sputum, or nasal mucus) of an infected person. This usually happens by shaking hands with an infected person or touching something they have handled, and then rubbing your own nose or mouth. The virus can also be found in the stool of persons who are infected. The virus is spread through this route mainly among small children who are not yet toilet trained. It can also be spread this way to adults changing the diapers of an infected infant. The incubation period for enteroviruses is usually between 3 and 7 days from the time you are infected until you develop symptoms. You can usually spread the virus to someone else beginning about 3 days after you are infected until about 10 days after you develop symptoms.  (+ info)

What are the symptoms of viral meningitis and how is it transfered from one person to another?

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It can be transferred very easily many different ways, especially through respiratory droplets and is usually found in dorms, barracks, and close living quarters. Some symptoms are flu-like, also you have muscle cramps, and spine cramps. Also you can have fever, headache and vomiting. It tends to be VERY dangerous so if you think you have it, or have flu-like symptoms, go DIRECTLY to your physician.  (+ info)

Is viral meningitis curable? and is their a possibility it can reoccur?

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I thought bacterial are curable and viruses are treatable?
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Can viral meningitis affect motor skills or brain function in child?

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They are now saying my friends 4 year old has viral meningitis and not bacterial. It has been 3 days and he is eating well but he still cannot stand up and is acting like a few of his motor skills are off like some slight retardation or something. My friend is so scared and the doctors are really giving much info. From what I am reading viral menigitis is not as severe as bacterial but they are SO concerned that he is going to be left with some after effects and I am trying to find info out thinking maybe when the spinal fluid goes down that maybe things will restore to normal?
Thanks
Both viral and bacterial meningitis have the capacity to cause an encephalopathy, which is a disease involving the central nervous system--so, infect that area severly and almost all of the major functions performed by that area of the brain will be compromised, such as cognition and even some motor function. This depends on the type of strain which infects a person, as some strains are more aggresive than another; determination of this can be done by obtaining CSF samples and making bacterial or viral cultures or whichever one is implicated on causing the meningitis.

This is not meant to scare you or anyone for the matter, but meningitis, whether viral or bacterial or parasitic or even fungal in nature, is of serious concern, since further progression of the the infection without therapeutic intervention can lead to other debilitating diseases that could involve the brain, and even death if left completely unchecked. I assume that the doctors have given prophylactic immunoglobulin/gamma globulin to the patient, which covers broad spectrum infection, and perhaps even antibiotics if the suspicion is bacterial in nature.

What the spinal fluid does show during a spinal infection and early forms of meningitis is that there is a high titer of antibodies and lymphocytes, which is the typical response of the immune system during an infection; this makes the CSF a little milky white/opaque in coloration. Perhaps clearance of the coloration of the CSF could indicate that the infection has receded or that the infection may have moved some place else (the first one is more likely, since WBC's will be in the vicinity to "check" for pathogens).

The child may be experiencing minor relapses of the infection, since for sure there is fever and a general feeling of discomfort (malaise) on the part of the infected child, but stating that his motor functions are already impaired is still too early to state. As long as his medications are ongoing until determining the exact causative agent of the meningitis, his immune system will have support from the given antibodies. There are serious complications, of course, if this is, again, left untreated; but it is still too early to conclude that the child will come out of this infection retarted or motor-impaired.

Hope this helps, and I wish your friend's child a speedy recovery.  (+ info)

How contagious is Viral Meningitis?

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My mother in law is hospitailzed right now for Viral Meningitis and my husband goes to see her everyday. Our son is 18 months old and I am paranoid he is going to get it just from the germs my husband brings home from the hospital. Is this possible?
Okay. It depends.

Let's talk about meningitis first. There are 2 causes of meningits - viruses and bacteria. Bacterial meningitis tends to be much more dangerous. Viral meningitis is referred to as aseptic meningitis and tends to be more mild. Viral meningitis usually takes 3-7 days to incubate in a person after exposure. At that point they become contagious. They usually stop being contagious after 10 days.

Most meningitis is spread through saliva and mucus from the nose. It can also be spread in stool sometimes, but that isn't applicable here.

So as long as your husband isn't coming into contact with her secretions, he shouldn't be bringing it home to you and your child. You can get it off of someone's hand if they have touched the infected fluids and then touch your face, but the ability to travel home from the hospital on your husbands hands is stretching things.

I think you and your child should be okay. Just make sure that when he leaves her room he washes his hands thoroughly - 30 seconds minimum. Wet hands, soap up, then start the count. Front, back, between the fingers, up the wrist, under the nails.

That's the best way of preventing the spread of viruses.

Hope that helps.  (+ info)

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