Is viral Meningitis contagious?

Question

one of the kids at my daughter's childminders' has it, and is in hospital. My daughter has had the vaccines for bacterial Meningitis, but i've not heard of a vaccine for viral Meningitis. I know the 2 diseases are totally different, but it's worrying any way.

Answer 1

yes ma'am! It is also a very serious disease. You can catch meningitis from close contact with people or from inanimate objects (like how you can pick up a cold virus at the mall). My 1 yr old son got meningitis, had to be air lifted to a larger hospital 200 miles away and spent 2 weeks in the intensive care unit. He now has permanent brain damage and we dont know what his level of functioning will be when he gets older. He actually had to have brain surgery once he was better to relieve the pressure off his brain. I have also cared for several people at the hospital I work at who have meningitis ( I am a nurse). Altho meningitis is rare, it can be deadly. I dont know how old you are, but if you will be going away to college soon, there is a vaccine to help protect against this terrible virus. I would recommend it to any child starting in about grade 10 to college age. Pass the word along, it can help save a life.

Answer 2

All viral diseases are infectious, its just a case of how infectious and by what means. If you have had contact with someone who has had viral meningitis then go see a doc and try not to cough in the waiting room..

Answer 3

Yes, thats why its called viral! It is most often spread through direct contact with respiratory secretions (e.g., saliva, sputum, or nasal mucus) of an infected person. This usually happens by shaking hands with an infected person or touching something they have handled, and then rubbing your own nose or mouth. The virus can also be found in the stool of persons who are infected. The virus is spread through this route mainly among small children who are not yet toilet trained. It can also be spread this way to adults changing the diapers of an infected infant. The incubation period for enteroviruses is usually between 3 and 7 days from the time you are infected until you develop symptoms. You can usually spread the virus to someone else beginning about 3 days after you are infected until about 10 days after you develop symptoms.

Answer 4

yes hunny it is although dont worry about it its bacterial that u need to panic about my neighbors kids just had viral and there doc said many cases go untreated cause not to many people even realize what they have besides they have to draw spinal fluid don't jump the gun unless they get a hi fever n a rash

Answer 5

yes, it can be spread by airborne transmission

Answer 6

anything that is "VIRAL", is infectious.......