Meningitis?

Question

A girl recently died from meningitis in my city. I have a few questions:
1. Is it contagious through sneezing(like a cold or strep throat) or through blood or saliva (like AIDS or Mono)?
2. Is it bacterial or viral?
3. Are there ways to prevent it besides a shot?
4. Should I get an immunization shot for it?

this girl had brain meningitis

Answer 1

2) meningitis can be viral, bacterial, fungal, or none of the above. If the girl died, it's almost definitely bacterial, unless she has a predisposing illness.

1) it can be contagious to close contacts, via airborne aerosols mostly. Bacterial meningitis is usually caused by bacteria already in our systems (colonising bacteria) either harmlessly or after an upper respiratory tract infection.

3) well, avoid unsanitary crowded conditions. Most cases of meningitis occur where people live in crowded/close contact environments (e.g. university dorms, day-care centres, etc.).

4) if you're in the above situations, it's recommended to get one, usually for A or C strain depending on where you are. If not, and unless you guys have a big outbreak, then your individual risk would have to be determined by your doctor.

Keep in mind that when someone is diagnosed with bacterial meningitis, one of the first things they do is assess which contacts of that person are at risk from the exposure, and give them prophylactic antibiotics.

Don't worry yourself too much.

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

Meningitis is the inflammation of the covering of the brain (and spinal cord), usually from infection (but not always). "Brain meningitis" might be what's called encephalitis which is inflammation of the brain itself, again usually from infection, but can be from many other causes.

1. Some forms of meningitis and encephalitis are contagious. The most concerning form of meningitis is bacterial, which is contagious but generally only with close contacts (including saliva--kissing, drink sharing, and shared utensils).

Viral meningitis (sometimes also called aseptic meningitis) is normally caused by a group of viruses that generally cause mild disease in most people, and are moderately contagious. Most people who contract these viruses don't have a problem. You might already have had the infection and not even known about it (or thought you had the cold).

3. Handwashing is always advisable. Wash them before meals, after using the bathroom, before preparing meals, etc.

4. The current vaccine is good for most of the types of bacterial meningitis present in the U.S. (Serotypes A, C, Y, and W135). One serotype, B, is not in the current vaccine, but it generally occurs mostly in Africa. College students and military recruits are the groups in the U.S. at greatest risk of infection with bacterial meningitis and should consider getting vaccinated.

But since it doesn't sound like the girl is a close contact of yours, I think you can feel reasonably safe.

Answer 3

If you got the shot prior to having meningitis, you might catch a less dangerous type of the meningitis strand. But if you are experiencing meningitis symptoms, I would talk to your doctor as soon as possible.

Answer 4

Menengitis is a swelling of the menenges, a lining around the brain.

It can be viral or bacterial. Bacterial is the worst type. You can only get immunized against one form, can't remember what it is.

Someone can carry the menegitis virus or bacteria and it can be totally harmless to THEM, yet if they kiss someone who might be immune compromised they can give it to the other person and the other person can die.

Read up on both types if you want to know more.

Answer 5

no, its not contagious but its bacterial. there is no way to prevent it besides medication and i think u should get a shot for it.

Answer 6

1. Depends what kind it is.
2. As above.
3. Wash hands.
4. Probably; your local health department will know.