This type of meningitis is fast and deadly. Here's what to know.

Daryl Austin, USA TODAY
·3 min read

When it comes to bacterial infections, bacterial meningitis may not be the most common one, but it is certainly among the most serious.

"The most worrisome part of bacterial meningitis is the lethality of the disease and the rapidity of its onset," explains Dr. Jatin Vyas, a professor of medicine in the infectious disease division at the Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. "Patients can go from being well to very sick within hours."

Here's what bacterial meningitis is, how it's different from viral and other types of meningitis, and what treatment can be expected if you or a loved one is diagnosed with it.

What is meningitis? What are symptoms?

Meningitis is an infection that causes the thin layers of the meninges that surround the brain and spinal cord to become inflamed, explains Dr. Rodrigo Hasbun, an infectious diseases professor at the University of Texas McGovern Medical School.

He says there are several types of meningitis that include bacterial, viral, fungal, parasitic and ones caused by non-infectious factors. Viral meningitis is the more common and less serious form of the disease, Hasbun explains, while bacterial meningitis "accounts for the minority of meningitis cases but can be associated with severe neurological complications and even death."

Indeed, bacterial meningitis "has a fatality rate of about one in six and causes long-term complications in one in five survivors," says Dr. Jason Nagata, a pediatrician at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital in San Francisco. Such long-term complications include hearing loss, vision problems, learning difficulties or limb amputations due to sepsis. "Early recognition and treatment are critical to preventing these outcomes," he says.

Common symptoms of viral meningitis include fever, headache, neck stiffness, nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light and confusion, says Nagata. "In severe cases, it may cause seizures, coma or a purple rash." Infants may show different signs such as poor feeding, irritability, bulging of the soft spot on their head or lethargy.

Noted: There are more than 300 headache causes. These are the most common ones.

What causes meningitis?

Common causes of viral meningitis include enteroviruses, herpes viruses, the West Nile virus, mumps and influenza viruses.

Bacterial meningitis can be caused by bacteria such as Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis, and Haemophilus influenzae, explains Nagata.

Vyas says a look at one's family history and a physical examination that includes an evaluation of cerebrospinal fluid obtained via spinal tap is required to know whether one is dealing with viral or bacterial meningitis.

Fungi like Cryptococcus and parasites or amoebas can cause fungal meningitis or parasitic meningitis. Non-infectious causes of meningitis include head injuries, adverse reactions to certain medications, cancer or autoimmune disorders like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis, says Dr. John Sellick, a professor of medicine in the infectious diseases division at the University at Buffalo.

Important to know: Arthritis is common, especially among seniors. Here's what causes it.

How is meningitis treated?

Meningitis treatment varies widely depending on its cause. Bacterial meningitis, for instance, "requires immediate intravenous antibiotics and sometimes corticosteroids to reduce inflammation, while viral meningitis usually resolves on its own with rest, fluids and pain relievers," says Nagata. He says that antivirals may also be used against specific viruses like herpes while fungal meningitis is treated with antifungal medications. "Non-infectious meningitis is managed by addressing the underlying condition, such as autoimmune diseases or cancer," he adds.

And while bacterial meningitis can be life-threatening, "early treatment improves outcomes," says Nagata. "The best treatments start with a prompt diagnosis of what is causing the disease," echoes Vyas.

Prevention through vaccination is also important. You can get vaccinated against the viruses that can lead to meningitis and get the MenACWY vaccine, which protects against four types of meningococcal bacteria that cause meningitis. This vaccine, says Sellick, "has very high efficacy in preventing infection."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What is meningitis?

Latest Stories

  • The Cosmos Is Finally Giving Us a Break on and These 2 Zodiac Signs Will Be the Luckiest

    Astrologer Lisa Stardust reveals which signs will benefit most from the best astrological day of the month

  • Meet Cheryl Hines, RFK Jr.'s wife and Larry David's 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' co-star

    Cheryl Hines was rather unknown when she was cast on "Curb Your Enthusiasm." Now she's in the spotlight as the supportive wife of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

  • What US adults think of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his views on vaccines, fluoride and raw milk

    WASHINGTON (AP) — Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s anti-vaccine advocacy is outside the mainstream. His previous statements on abortion could alienate Republicans. But a new poll finds that not all of his controversial health goals are unpopular — in fact, at least one has broad support among Democrats and Republicans.

  • Prof. Steffanie Strathdee, a Canadian working at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine, says she was stunned to see NIH funding was paused.

    Canadian scientists say the uncertainty surrounding U.S. President Donald Trump's apparent pause on federal health spending could stall research on new drugs, vaccines, and treatments for cancer, dementia and more — including at labs in Canada.The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) powers some of the best scientists around the world. Most of its $47-billion US budget last year funded research that the agency deemed could "enhance health, lengthen life, reduce illness and disability."  That includes work being done by Canadian researchers, who received over $40 million US of funding last year.Now there's confusion. On Jan. 21, the Trump administration imposed a communication freeze until Feb. 1 for federal health officials. At the NIH, that meant key meetings that decide which scientific research to fund were cancelled, with no word on when they would be rescheduled.  This week, an NIH webpage on grants and funding, a dashboard for researchers, announced unspecified changes that will affect "research project grants, fellowships and training grants" submitted on or after Jan. 25. Adding to the chaos: in a separate move, the administration also froze hundreds of billions of dollars in federal grants, loans and aid Monday, before reversing course Wednesday.  All this is leaving many scientists — including those in Canada — unsure of the future of their work.Canadian Steffanie Strathdee moved to the U.S. in 1998 and receives NIH funding for her HIV prevention research. She is awaiting word on a new grant submission for $12 million US,, and a meeting scheduled with the NIH next week to adjudicate about it is up in the air."When I opened my computer and saw that NIH dollars were frozen, I was stunned," Strathdee said.Strathdee is a professor at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine. The research involves following large groups of people who use drugs over time to study HIV and hepatitis C. Some of her work includes studies in Canada with people who use drugs to inform prevention and treatment in the U.S., Canada and beyond. Strathdee said most researchers she knows have already been affected by the temporary freezes on meetings, travel, communication and hiring at the NIH. Nathan Spreng of the department of neurology and neurosurgery at Montreal's McGill University aims to better understand brain aging. If research like Spreng's is underfunded it could delay the development of future treatments. (Alison Northcott/CBC)"At the very best scenario, we're facing a significant funding delay, and that means that the livelihoods of my staff and my students, both in Canada and the U.S., are being affected."Future consequences?Researchers working at Canadian universities are also anxious about the lack of clarity. Nathan Spreng is the James McGill Professor in the department of neurology and neurosurgery at McGill University in Montreal, where he studies how the brain changes as we get older. The NIH has funded his research into loneliness, brain aging and Alzheimer's disease. Research like Spreng's, if underfunded, could delay the development of future treatments."The consequences of this are just real human suffering," Spreng said. "There are a number of diseases and injuries that are not well treated at the moment. Absent this kind of funding, these people will just continue to suffer."NIH funding contributed to the development of all but two of 356 drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration between 2010 and 2019, a 2023 article in JAMA Health Forum suggests.WATCH | Funding, but also information sharing, at stake if U.S. leaves WHO: Spreng said that the main concern right now within the scientific community is about NIH study sections, expert-led panels who rank grant proposals for funding. "It's not going to be felt immediately," Spreng said. "It's going to take a number of years for a kind of cumulative impact to emerge, but across the board, what we'll see are fewer treatments, fewer innovations in medicine and the persistence of ill health."Science community feeling a chillAn exception, according to a memo first reported on Monday by Stat, a U.S.-based health and medical news site, allows people enrolled in clinical trials of potential medications to travel to the study sites.But ongoing confusion about impact on the wider NIH research funding continues."It is really putting a freeze on science," and the chill is being felt throughout the science community, said Jim Woodgett, a cancer researcher at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute at Toronto's Sinai Health and the Terry Fox Research Institute.Jim Woodgett's lab focus includes the causes and treatment of breast cancer and liver cancer. He said details of NIH research funding seem to change by the second. ( Craig Chivers/CBC)"We don't know a lot about the details, and they seem to be changing every second," he said. "I think that uncertainty actually is adding to the crisis." Woodgett notes the Canadian Institutes for Health Research, the main funder of medical research in this country, has a budget of about $1.4 billion. Since 2016, the Government of Canada invested $22 billion on science and research initiatives. For comparison, the NIH alone spends more than double that every year — over $47 billion US or $67 billion in Canadian dollars. Strathdee, the HIV scientist, said the uncertainty with U.S. funding opens the door for Canada to increase research funding and attract top American scientists — or bring Canadians back home. "This is an opportunity for not brain drain, but brain gain," Strathdee said. "I'm just one of many people that want to come back home and have never given up on my collaborations in Canada."A spokesperson for the federal minister of innovation, science and industry told CBC News that the government is watching the developments around science and research funding in the U.S. closely. Strathdee, who currently commutes between San Diego and Toronto, is hedging her bets. "If things continue to erode in the United States and it's a deliberate erosion of the public health infrastructure, then I'll be revisiting my decision about where I'm going to put the rest of my time in my career."

  • NBA Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade reveals shocking cancer diagnosis and partial kidney removal

    Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade revealed on his podcast that he had been putting off a physical but health concerns prompted a visit to a physician.

  • Fact check: $50 million for condoms in Gaza? Five big reasons to be skeptical Trump’s story is true

    During her first official White House briefing as President Donald Trump’s press secretary, Karoline Leavitt announced that Trump had prevented a “preposterous waste of taxpayer money.” Trump’s team, she said, used the president’s pause on foreign aid to thwart a plan in which “there was about to be $50 million taxpayer dollars that went out the door to fund condoms in Gaza.”

  • Armed patient allegedly injures three hospital staff in Halifax emergency room

    HALIFAX — Three hospital employees were injured in what Nova Scotia’s health minister says was an armed assault by a patient Wednesday afternoon at the Halifax Infirmary emergency department.

  • Lizzo Celebrates Weight Loss With Inspiring Selfie

    Lizzo posted a photo to Instagram sharing that she has achieved her weight loss goal, or “weight release goal,” with an inspiring message for fans.

  • 5 key takeaways from Kennedy’s combative second hearing

    Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Trump’s nominee for Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary, sat through his second Senate confirmation hearing in as many days on Thursday, with his chances of being confirmed appearing less certain by the end. Democrats on the the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee once again hammered Kennedy for…

  • Concerned about microplastics in tea bags? Here's what researchers say you should know.

    Some commercially available tea bags contain high levels of microplastics. Here's what researchers say you should know, and options for brewing a safer cup of tea.

  • Proposal in Kentucky would allow teachers to read, display Ten Commandments

    Proposal in Kentucky would allow teachers to read, display Ten Commandments

  • Carole Middleton's difficult birth story that left her 'very concerned'

    The Princess of Wales' mother Carole Middleton had secret fears about welcoming Kate without her husband Michael Middleton in January 1982.

  • Red Wings head west for pivotal four-game road trip

    Red Wings head west for pivotal four-game road trip | Brad Galli has more

  • RFK Jr. gets it. Our unhealthy lifestyles are killing us and driving up debt. | Opinion

    Robert F. Kennedy Jr. can help to rebuild the systems that promote unhealthy lifestyles in America. He deserves our support.

  • Millions not spent on helping locked-in patients

    The majority of a £20m fund remains unspent, according to a new report.

  • FDA reclassifies Lay’s potato chips recall to the highest risk level, warning the chips could cause ‘serious adverse health consequences or death’

    Frito-Lay insists all affected bags are currently off shelves.

  • Chronic back and neck pain? This pillow is 'particularly good' for pain relief, says an expert — and it's 56% off

    Amazon shoppers are raving about "what a difference" this pillow makes. I put it to the test.

  • Questions and concerns remain over impact of potential federal funding freeze for WNY organizations

    Questions and concerns remain over the impact a potential federal funding freeze could have on WNY organizations.

  • Walmart's Broccoli Recall Now Classified As Potentially Deadly, According To The FDA

    Customers are being urged to check their freezers immediately for broccoli recalled from Walmart.

  • Former Sacramento couple accused of sexual abuse of a child

    A now-separated Sacramento couple pleaded not guilty Wednesday to numerous charges related to the alleged sexual abuse of a child.