MENINGITIS

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Causes Of Meningitis

Meningitis is a disease that can be passed from person to person (contagious). It is caused most often by viruses or bacteria that infect the tissues (meninges ) and sometimes the fluid (cerebral spinal fluid, or CSF) that surround the brain and spinal cord.

Viral meningitis

Enteroviruses are the most common cause of viral meningitis. They can live in your intestines without causing illness. However, they can cause meningitis when they are passed from one person to another through food, water, or contaminated objects. Meningitis caused by enteroviruses occurs most often in babies and young children.

In rare cases, other viruses, such as human immunodeficiency (HIV) or mumps, may cause meningitis

Bacterial meningitis

In the United States, bacterial meningitis mainly affects adults.1 Immunizations continue to help prevent childhood bacterial meningitis. Most people who get bacterial meningitis get it from one of two types of bacteria: Streptococcus pneumoniae or Neisseria meningitidis.

These bacteria often live in the body, most often in the nose and throat, without causing illness. However, the bacteria can cause meningitis if they get into the bloodstream and travel to the cerebrospinal fluid or the tissues (meninges) that surround the brain and spinal cord. These bacteria also can be passed from one person to another, usually through infected saliva or mucus.

Two other bacteria that sometimes cause meningitis are group B streptococci and Listeria monocytogenes. Meningitis caused by group B streptococci bacteria occurs most often in newborns, who can become infected during or after birth. Meningitis caused by Listeria monocytogenes bacteria occurs most often in newborns and in older adults.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends screening for group B streptococci in all pregnant women at 35 to 37 weeks. Women who have the bacteria are given antibiotics during labor in order to prevent infection in their newborns, and this practice has worked well.

In rare cases, other bacteria cause meningitis, usually in people with long-term medical conditions.

Meningitis also can be caused by other organisms and conditions. It can be a complication of an illness, an injury (particularly to the skull or face), or brain surgery.