Bacterial Meningitis

Bacterial Meningitis: Basic Facts Bacterial meningitis is an infection of the spinal cord and the cerebral fluid around the brain(cdc). It can be transmitted through bacterial or viral means, though bacterial is often more harmful than viral(cdc) Knowing if the infection is viral or bacterial is key to getting the correct treatment(). The image on the top right is of a bacterial strain of meningitis, while the bottom right is a viral strain(cdc).

Microbiology The menengis are hit directly when bacteria moves into the subarachnoid space in the human body(emedicine).

How can you get it? It is possible to contract certain types of bacterial meningitis (cdc) The most common ways of contracting them are through sharing drinks, kissing, or coming in contact with any loose respiratory fluids and mucous (i.e.- Coughing, hacking, sneezing, or spitting)

Symptoms The most common symptoms to look for are: Fever, rash, fatigue, headache, stiff neck, a constant drowsy feeling, confusion, nausea and vomiting, and a sensitivity to light.(cdc) Not all symptoms may show in a single case, but anyone with these symptoms are urged to see a physician immediately.

Symptoms continued If left untreated, seizures are the next stage followed by a coma, then death. We carry the ability to contract bacterial meningitis(health.com) It may be possible for a cross species contamination

Symptoms in infants Infants showing symptoms of bacterial meningitis are typically: Slow in their movements or mostly inactive Infants can be highly irritable Infants may also be vomiting frequently or may have developed poor feeding habits. Depending on how far the disease has progressed seizures can be an expected side effect as well. (health).

Infants continued Any parents with toddlers who have recently been diagnosed with bacterial meningitis need to notify any parents who may have children who come in contact with the infected child. Any children who have been in contact with a child infected with bacterial meningitis need to be kept from close play with other children until they are tested.

Can it be contracted off of non-human surfaces? Bacterial meningitis, though contagious through people, is unlikely to infect a person through means that are similar to the rhino virus or influenza(cdc). Even though it is unheard of, it is common for people that share a close environment with an infected person to contract meningitis, or are at a greater risk for it Anyone who is in close contact with a case of bacterial meningitis are urged to get preventative treatments (dhpe).

How do you test for bacterial meningitis? Testing for bacterial meningitis is done with a lumbar puncture test(dhpe, cdc). The sample taken from the lumbar puncture is tested by growing bacteria in it(cdc).

Treatments Heavy doses of antibiotics Anyone in contact with an infected party is urged to be treated with preventative antibiotics. There are several preventative vaccines in the market today. If an affected case survives treatment there are several known long term side effects from Bacterial meningitis:

Treatment Continued There is no preventative treatment for neonates or infants(MFA). Sepsis is another known side effect of Bacterial meningitis(MFA). Examples of antibiotics are ceftriaxone penicillin, or oral antibiotics such as ciproflaxin and rifampin (news. health).

When and where was it first discovered? The first recorded case of Bacterial meningitis was found in Switzerland in 1805. The first sample of isolated Bacterial Meningitis was collected from a patient in 1882 and officially named Neisseria Meningitidis. In 1913, Simon Flexner was the first person to report some forward movement in the treating of Bacterial Meningitis. (scienceweek)

Where is it most prominent in the world? Bacterial meningitis is a world wide disease that can affect anyone at any given place. Larger cases of bacterial meningitis can be found mostly in third world countries.

Local Cases One recent local case in the immediate area was in Amsterdam. The date of death was December 4th, 2002 The affected case showed no outward signs of infections One other student showed symptoms After the case got out, all public schools in Amsterdam were closed till everyone was cleared.

Who is most susceptible? People of any age can contract bacterial meningitis, but the most cases are found in infants, small children, and young adults Thought not as common, the elderly are susceptible under certain conditions. (elon)

Why are bacterial cases seemingly more harmful than viral? Bacterial meningitis is made up of three different and harmful bacterial strains. Each of these strains combined together make the bacterial strain of meningitis more violent than a viral strain. Neisseria Meningitidis Haemophilus influenzae type B Streptococcus pneumoniae (cdc, dhpe)

Are there dormant carriers Yes! There are in fact dormant carriers. It is actually possible to contract bacterial meningitis, not show any symptoms, yet still give it to another person(dhpe). In fact, the person sitting next to you may be a dormant carrier…

Works Cited (pictures) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Charlotte_Cleverley-Bisman_Meningicoccal_Disease.jpg http://cdn.wn.com/o25/ph//2008/11/12/6a95626f136a7c33615db4212ef71513-grande.jpg http://www.kidsfriendlynz.com/Magazine/march%202005/Baby_Rash.JPG http://www.ndsc.ie/hpsc/media/Media,1800,en.gif http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/energy-drink-3.jpg http://www.ahealthyme.com/Imagebank/Articles_images/CoughingWoman.jpg http://images.suite101.com/254664_10_09_07.jpg http://www.meningitis101.com/types-of-meningitis-lg.jpg http://baby411.typepad.com/.a/6a00d834b8c97353ef010536e7df84970b-320pi http://collegeotr.s3.amazonaws.com/images/blogs/a77f9537d4439ff82df170ef65015da3.gif http://www.medical-look.com/diseases_images/meningitis.jpg http://earthfirst.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/orlando-bloom.jpg

Works cited (info) http://www.health.com/health/library/topic/0,,aa34518_aa34521,00.html http://news.health.com/2009/02/26/antibiotic-resistant-meningitis-reported-us/ http://scienceweek.com/2005/sc050211-3.htm http://www.elon.edu/e-web/pendulum/Issues/2004/9_23/news/meningitis.xhtml http://www.cdc.gov/meningitis/bacterial/faqs.htm http://www.dhpe.org/infect/Bacmeningitis.html http://my.clevelandclinic.org/disorders/Meningitis/hic_Bacterial_Meningitis.aspx http://www.hmc.psu.edu/healthinfo/m/meningitis.htm http://www.meningitisfoundationofamerica.org/templates/content-view/77/index.html http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/961497-overview