What Are the 3 Main Causes of Meningitis Disease?

 

 Meningitis Treatment

What Is Meningitis?

Meningitis is a rare infection that affects the delicate membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord, known as meninges. A viral or bacterial infection is usually the cause of meningitis.

The most common and least serious type is viral meningitis. Bacterial meningitis is uncommon, but it can be fatal if not treated.

Meningitis can be caused by a variety of viruses and bacteria, including:

●There are several types of meningococcal bacteria, known as A, B, C, W, X, Y, and Z pneumococcal bacteria.

●Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b) bacteria

●Enteroviruses are viruses that typically cause only a mild stomach infection.

●The mumps virus the herpes simplex virus, which causes cold sores or genital herpes

Several meningitis vaccines protect against many of the infections that can cause meningitis.

Meningitis Symptoms and signs

The incubation period varies by organism and can range from two to ten days for bacterial meningitis. Because bacterial meningitis is frequently associated with sepsis, the signs and symptoms cover both conditions.

Among the signs and symptoms are excruciating headache, neck stiffness or pain, high temperature, avoiding direct sunlight, drowsy, perplexed, and comatose, convulsions, rash, joint discomfort, hands and feet are freezing, vomiting.

Signs in babies can include inadequate nutrition, drowsy, difficult to wake, and comatose, irritable and tears when handled, breathing difficulties, grunting, fever, rigidity of the neck, a bulging soft spot on the top of the head , high-pitched scream, convulsions, vomiting, rash, Skin that is pale or blotchy.

Meningitis Diagnosis

A clinical examination followed by a lumbar puncture can be used to make an initial diagnosis of meningitis. Bacteria can occasionally be seen in microscopic examinations of spinal fluid. Growing bacteria from cerebrospinal fluid or blood specimens, rapid diagnostic tests, or polymerase chain reaction are used to support or confirm the diagnosis (PCR). The identification of serogroups and antibiotic susceptibility is critical for defining control measures. Molecular typing and whole-genome sequencing reveal more differences between strains and help to guide public health responses.

MeningitisTreatment

When left untreated, meningitis kills up to half of all patients and should always be treated as a medical emergency. It is necessary to be admitted to a hospital or health center. After 24 hours of treatment, it is not usually recommended to isolate the patient.

In the case of bacterial meningitis, appropriate antibiotic treatment should be initiated as soon as possible. Antibiotics can make it more difficult to grow bacteria from spinal fluid, so lumbar puncture should be done first. However, blood sampling can also aid in determining the cause, and the priority is to begin treatment as soon as possible. Meningitis is treated with a variety of antibiotics, including penicillin, ampicillin, and ceftriaxone. Ceftriaxone is the drug of choice during epidemics of meningococcal and pneumococcal meningitis.