Meningitis

Disease or disorder caused by virus?

   For children there are several harmful disorders which result from damage to the nervous system.  Which are hearing loss, epilepsy and brain swelling.  hearing loss often occurs during first couple of days of the illness, but permanent deafness is rare.  For people over the age of 60 the disorders are more fatal.

Description of virus structure

How is the virus transmitted?

 Usually meningitis are transmitted through close person-to-person contact, you may also contract meningitis from a fungal infection (also known as "mycosis").  Meningitis may be transmitted by infectious agents, physical injury, cancer, or certain drugs.

How can the transmission be prevented?

   There are vaccines for only bacterial meningitis.  Antibiotics are given to people who have bacterial meningitis, there are certain types of vaccines for newborns and elders who have meningitis.

The type of body cells attacked?

  The brain tissues and central nervous system is attacked by meningitis.

What are the symptoms of infection?

   The symptoms of meningitis are drowsiness, epileptic fits, fever, headache, joint pain, stiff neck, vomiting, as the disease progresses seizures may occur and there is no particular order in which symptoms appear.

How does the body defend itself?

  The body's immune system defends itself aganist the infection.

Are there any treatments/vaccines?

    Antibiotics are given to the patient before going to the hospital, corticosteroids are also given to the patient to reduce brian swelling, Penicillin, Chloramphenicol, and Cephalosporin may also be given to the patient.  There is vaccines avaliable for different types of meningitis.

Interesting Facts

- there are three types of meningitis, there is bacterial meningitis, viral meningitis and fungal meningitis

- bacterial meningitis is the most dangerous

- meningitis can be obtained by close contact to others

- children under the age of 5 have a higher risk of contracting meningitis

- anyone can be a victim of meningitis regardless of age, health or living conditions

By: Fahim