I know you can get meningitis from drinking out of the same water bottle as someone, etc., but then wouldn't it be logical that you could get it from kissing too??
This is all completely theoretical (I wasn't kissing anyone who got meningitis, or anything), so no one get worried!!
2006-09-02 14:03:59 · 9 answers · asked by maya 5 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Medicine
Yes. See the references below.
Bear in mind there are several types of meningitis, including bacterial and viral.
2006-09-02 14:08:39 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes. Meningococcal meningitis (the most common cause in young adults) can be transmitted by oral contact. A recent publication demonstrated a significantly increased risk of meningococcal meningitis in adolescents who engaged in intimate (French) kissing with multiple partners (see http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=16473859&query_hl=7&itool=pubmed_docsum for an abstract of the medical paper on this). The incidence of meningococcal meningitis remains low however at ~1 case per every 100,000 young adults (see http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?itool=abstractplus&db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=abstractplus&list_uids=11495618 for another ref). There is a vaccine for this that works pretty well.
There are other causes of meningitis in addition to the meningococcal bacteria including other bacteria (some of which also have vaccines), a variety of viruses and other organisms. A good summary of mengitis, its causes, treatments and prevention with vaccines can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/DBMD/diseaseinfo/meningococcal_g.htm.
2006-09-02 17:52:24 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes
2006-09-04 21:29:13 · answer #3 · answered by mortisia2121 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Infectious mononucleosis is called "kissing disease" because it spreads by kissing. This disease may become meningitis in rare cases due to complication.
Please see the webages for more details on Infectious Mononucleosis.
2006-09-02 16:32:57 · answer #4 · answered by gangadharan nair 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes
2006-09-02 14:09:40 · answer #5 · answered by Girly 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
definite, some forms of bacterial meningitis are contagious. The micro organism are unfold for the period of the replace of respiration and throat secretions (i.e., coughing, kissing). i might get the vaccine precise away!!!!
2016-09-30 07:06:22 · answer #6 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Only if you wet-kiss. A dry kiss is usually safe.
2006-09-02 14:25:39 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes, oral mode of transmission " saliva"
2006-09-02 23:41:10 · answer #8 · answered by metakido 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You most certainly can.
2006-09-02 15:48:22 · answer #9 · answered by tjjone 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋