About meningitis

Meningitis is a serious illness that can kill in hours. It affects around 2.5 million people globally every year.

Meningitis is the swelling of the lining of the brain and spinal cord (called meninges), caused by an infection.

Infections that lead to meningitis can be caused by different types of germs, and in rare cases parasites. Most of the time people infected by one of these germs or parasites will only have a mild illness, or no symptoms at all. It’s very rare for infections to develop into meningitis.

The germs that causes meningitis can also sometimes cause sepsis. Sepsis is a life-threatening reaction to germs in the bloodstream where the body's response to an infection goes too far, causing damage to important organs and body tissues. It’s sometimes called septicaemia or blood poisoning.

The symptoms of sepsis and meningitis can be similar, and someone can suffer from both diseases at the same time. It’s helpful to be aware of the symptoms of both meningitis and sepsis and the mechanism of the diseases. They are both life-threatening, and fast diagnosis and treatment give the best chance of recovery.

Bacterial causes of meningitis

There are over 50 different types of bacteria that can cause meningitis, but only a few are responsible for the majority of cases worldwide. The most common are:

Meningococcal.
Pneumococcal.
Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib).
Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB).
Group B streptococci.
Group A streptococci.
E.coli.
Listeria.
Salmonella.
Klebsiella.

Viral causes of meningitis

Viruses are the most common cause of meningitis around the world, and there are several types of viral infections that can lead to meningitis:

Enteroviruses, like echovirus and coxsackievirus.
Parechoviruses.
Herpes viruses, including herpes simplex virus (HSV) and varicella zoster virus (VZV).
Mumps and measles.
Arboviruses.
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV).

Fungal causes of meningitis

The fungi that can cause meningitis are found in the environment and on living things. They include:

Cryptoccocus.
Aspergillus.
Histoplasma.
Blastomyces.
Coccidiodes.
Candida albicans.
Candida auris.

Meningitis symptoms

The symptoms of meningitis can progress rapidly, and early diagnosis and treatment will increase the chances of a full recovery.

Early symptoms of meningitis can look very similar to milder, more common infections.

Symptoms may include:

Fever
Vomiting.
Headache.
Stiff neck (less common in young children).
Seizures (fits).
Confused / delirious.
Very sleepy / vacant / difficult to wake.

Symptoms in babies and very young children can be slightly different. Their symptoms may include:

High temperature (warning: could be normal or low in babies under three months old).
Irritability.
Vomiting / refusing to feed.
A high-pitched cry.
A stiff body with jerky movements or else floppy and lifeless.
Very sleepy / staring expression / too sleepy to wake up.
Tense or bulging soft spot on the top of their head.

Not everyone with meningitis will get all of these symptoms.

The symptoms of bacterial and viral meningitis can be very similar, and it’s not possible to know what is causing the illness without further testing. People with bacterial meningitis will get worse fast and need urgent treatment with antibiotics, while meningitis caused by a virus is generally much less dangerous.

Check regularly on someone who is unwell. Trust your instincts and get medical help straight away if you or someone you know is seriously ill.

Learn more about the symptoms of meningitis.

The symptoms of fungal meningitis are like the other causes but they usually progress more gradually, often over several weeks.

Recovery from meningitis and its after-effects

Meningitis is a serious illness and recovery patterns can be different. You might feel completely back to normal in a few weeks, or it may take many months for you to fully recover.

Some people are left with short- or long-term after-effects following their initial recovery.

Several factors can influence your chance of being left with a long-term disability after meningitis, including:

Whether the meningitis was caused by bacteria or a virus. Bacterial meningitis is more likely to cause after-effects than viral meningitis. One in five people with bacterial meningitis are left with life-altering disabilities compared to one in 20 with viral meningitis.
The age you are when you become unwell. Very young infants are more likely to have after-effects than older children and adults.
How severe your illness was. If you’re severely ill in hospital and have a long stay, you’re more likely to have after-effects than if your illness is mild.

Learn more about the after-effects associated with meningitis and sepsis.

Risk factors

Anyone can get meningitis, but there are some factors that put people at higher risk. These include:

Your age. Young children and the elderly are more at risk.
Where you live. The risk of catching bacterial meningitis is the highest in the world in an area of Sub-Saharan Africa known as the Meningitis Belt.
Exposure to environmental factors. Conditions in some parts of the world make it easier for meningitis-causing germs to enter your body.
Whether you have existing medical conditions. If your immune system is suppressed or you have certain chronic conditions, your body will find it harder to fight off the germs.
Whether you’ve been in contact with someone who has a contagious cause of meningitis. It’s rare to contract meningitis from someone already suffering with the disease, but it can sometimes occur.

Vaccines that can protect from meningitis

Vaccination is a safe way to protect against lots of the causes of meningitis, but there isn’t yet a vaccine that protects against all of them.

Thanks to meningitis vaccines, millions of lives have been saved worldwide and we’re closer than ever to defeating the disease. Research continues to develop and improve the availability of meningitis vaccines.

Learn more about meningitis vaccines.

Accessing support

Physical and emotional recovery from meningitis and its impact can be different for everyone. Support is available if meningitis has affected you or a loved one.

CoMO are dedicated to reducing the impact of meningitis globally, with members across the world. It is a great resource for finding support where you live.

Find a CoMO member in your country.

If you are involved in work to support people affected by meningitis, why not become a member or friend of CoMO?

Find out more about CoMO membership.

References

Meningitis Progress Tracker, Meningitis Research Foundation, UK 2023. https://www.meningitis.org/mpt
Global Burden of Disease Collaborative Network, Global Burden of Disease Study 2019, Seattle, United States: Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation 2020. https://vizhub.healthdata.org/gbd-results/
Petersen, P. T., Bodilsen, J., Jepsen, M. P. G., Larsen, L., Storgaard, M., Hansen, B. R., Helweg-Larsen, J., Wiese, L., Lüttichau, H. R., Andersen, C. Ø., Nielsen, H., Brandt, C. T., & Danish Study Group of Infections of the Brain (DASGIB) (2023). Clinical features and prognostic factors in adults with viral meningitis. Brain : a journal of neurology, 146(9), 3816–3825. https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awad089

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Confederation of Meningitis Organisations