Viral meningitis is usually mild and often clears on its own. Most cases in the United States are caused by a group of viruses known as enteroviruses, which are most common in late summer and early fall. Viruses such as herpes simplex virus, HIV , mumps virus, West Nile virus and others also can cause viral meningitis. Slow-growing organisms such as fungi and Mycobacterium tuberculosis that invade the membranes and fluid surrounding your brain cause chronic meningitis.
Chronic meningitis develops over two weeks or more. The signs and symptoms of chronic meningitis — headache, fever, vomiting and mental cloudiness — are similar to those of acute meningitis. Fungal meningitis is relatively uncommon in the United States. It may mimic acute bacterial meningitis. It's often contracted by breathing in fungal spores that may be found in soil, decaying wood and bird droppings.
Fungal meningitis isn't contagious from person to person. Cryptococcal meningitis is a common fungal form of the disease that affects people with immune deficiencies, such as AIDS. It's life-threatening if not treated with an antifungal medication.
Even with treatment, fungal meningitis may recur. Parasites can cause a rare type of meningitis called eosinophilic meningitis. Parasitic meningitis can also be caused by a tapeworm infection in the brain cysticercosis or cerebral malaria. Amoebic meningitis is a rare type that is sometimes contracted through swimming in fresh water and can quickly become life-threatening.
The main parasites that cause meningitis typically infect animals. People are usually infected by eating foods contaminated with these parasites. Parasitic meningitis isn't spread between people. Meningitis can also result from noninfectious causes, such as chemical reactions, drug allergies, some types of cancer and inflammatory diseases such as sarcoidosis.
Meningitis complications can be severe. The longer you or your child has the disease without treatment, the greater the risk of seizures and permanent neurological damage, including:. Common bacteria or viruses that can cause meningitis can spread through coughing, sneezing, kissing, or sharing eating utensils, a toothbrush or a cigarette.
Meningococcal conjugate vaccine. The CDC recommends that a single dose be given to children ages 11 to 12, with a booster shot given at age If the vaccine is first given between ages 13 and 15, the booster is recommended between ages 16 and If the first shot is given at age 16 or older, no booster is necessary. This vaccine can also be given to children between the ages of 2 months and 10 years who are at high risk of bacterial meningitis or who have been exposed to someone with the disease.
It's also used to vaccinate healthy but previously unvaccinated people who have been exposed in outbreaks. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Staphylococcal meningitis affects the protective covering around your spinal cord and brain.
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Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. How Contagious Is Meningitis? Medically reviewed by Deborah Weatherspoon, Ph. Fungal meningitis Parasitic meningitis Noninfectious meningitis Viral meningitis Bacterial meningitis Avoiding meningitis Share on Pinterest. Fungal meningitis. Parasitic meningitis.
Non-infectious meningitis. Viral meningitis. Bacterial meningitis. How to avoid meningitis. Read this next. Medically reviewed by Daniel Murrell, M. Read more: Meningitis ». Parents of babies and toddlers under the age of 2 should closely monitor any lingering irritability or lack of interest in eating, as these can also be symptoms of meningitis. Symptoms can begin quickly, sometimes in just a couple hours, or they can progress over a day or two. Seek immediate medical attention if you show symptoms of bacterial meningitis.
Your doctor will treat the condition as soon as possible, most likely with antibiotics. Bacteria that cause meningitis can live in your body and the environment around you.
In many cases they are harmless. Bacterial meningitis occurs when these bacteria get in your bloodstream and travel to your brain and spinal cord to start an infection. Most bacteria that cause this form of infection are spread through close personal contact, such as:.
When that person coughs or sneezes the bacteria travel through the air. In fact, the bacteria that cause meningitis are less contagious than viruses that cause the cold or flu. Not all bacteria that cause meningitis are spread from one person to another. You can also develop bacterial meningitis after eating certain foods containing the Listeria bacterium, such as:. Meningitis-causing bacteria are more likely to attack the membranes of your brain after a trauma such as:.
Additionally, babies and people with weak immune systems are more likely to develop bacterial meningitis. Some types of bacterial meningitis can be prevented through immunizations.
There are vaccines that protect against pneumococcus, meningococcus, and Hib, all of which cause meningitis. Vaccinations are key to the prevention of meningitis. See your doctor to make sure your vaccinations, and those of your children, are up-to-date.
Bacterial meningitis can lead to severe health complications, such as stroke and brain damage. It can even be fatal.
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