Bacterial meningitis, a form of meningitis that stems from a bacterial infection, is more severe than viral meningitis — but it’s also rarer.
More than 1.2 million cases of bacterial meningitis are estimated to occur worldwide each year. (1)
It’s hard to get precise numbers for the rate of incidence, but according to a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine, there were approximately 3,200 cases of bacterial meningitis and 500 deaths from the disease between 2003 and 2007.
Bacterial meningitis is a devastating disease that is associated with substantial mortality and morbidity. Major causative bacteria are Streptococcus pneumoniae and Neisseria meningitis, with case-fatality rates of 30% and 7% in higher-income countries. In resource-poor settings, fatality rates can be as high as 50%. Neurological sequelae, including hearing loss, developmental disorders, and neuropsychological impairment are reported to occur in up to half of survivors of bacterial meningitis.
Although routine vaccination against the three most common causative bacteria had considerable impact on the occurrence of bacterial meningitis, there are an estimated 1·2 million cases each year worldwide resulting in 180,000 deaths among children aged 1–59 months in 2010.
This Series updates current knowledge of three important aspects of bacterial meningitis: dilemmas in making the diagnosis, advances in treatment, and the impact of vaccines on bacterial meningitis worldwide. The series reveals substantial progress in clinical diagnostics, molecular diagnostic methods, adjunctive anti-inflammatory treatments, and preventive strategies.
It also highlights evolving challenges: global emergence of multi-drug resistant bacteria, a lack of randomized studies evaluating treatment strategies, and a lack of progress in resource-poor countries, where the urgency of the problem is highest. Further introduction of conjugate vaccines, especially in parts of the world with the highest disease burden, is imperative for the reduction of the burden of acute bacterial meningitis worldwide.
The meninges are the membranes covering the spinal cord and the brain. When the meninges become swollen or inflamed, it results in meningitis.
Bacterial meningitis occurs in infants, children, and adults. Fever, stiffness of the neck, headache, and changes in mental capacity are the main symptoms.
In 1806, Vieusseux identified the organism causing the almost fatal condition of meningococcal meningitis. Bacterial meningitis is a bacterial infection of the meninges, resulting in swelling within the central nervous system (CNS).
An individual can die in as little as a few hours. However, most cases recover although they may be left with long-lasting handicaps, such as hearing impairment, learning difficulties, and damage to the brain.
Meningitis is a condition that affects the thin membranes that cover a person’s brain and spinal cord. Bacterial meningitis is a serious and life threatening form of meningitis that occurs due to a bacterial infection.
Meningitis affects the meninges, which are membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord. The meninges work with the cerebrospinal fluid to protect the central nervous system (CNS).
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), bacterial meningitis has a mortality rate of around 10%Trusted Source. Additionally, 20% of people who have bacterial meningitis end up with severe complications.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that vaccination is the most effectiveTrusted Source way to prevent bacterial meningitis.
Due to the severity of bacterial meningitis, treatment should begin as soon as possible. Death from bacterial meningitis can occur in just a few hours.
Read on to learn more about bacterial meningitis, including its symptoms and possible complications.
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