Viral and Bacterial Meningitis

Meningitis is an infection of the fluid of a person’s spinal cord and the fluid that surrounds the brain. It is caused by a viral or bacterial infection.

Viral meningitis is usually less severe and resolves without special treatment. Many different viruses can cause meningitis. Most of them are more common during the summer and fall months. Bacterial meningitis is extremely serious. It may result in brain damage, hearing loss or learning disability. It is important to know which type of bacteria is causing the meningitis because antibiotics can prevent some types from infecting other people. The earlier the treatment starts the more successful it is. Today, Streptococcus pneumonia and Neisseria meningitides are the leading causes of bacterial meningitis.

What are the symptoms of meningitis?

Often the symptoms of viral and bacterial meningitis are the same. Usually, people either do not get sick at all from the organisms that cause meningitis or they have mild flu like symptoms. In more serious cases, symptoms include: nausea, irritability, vomiting, stiff neck, fever, sleepiness, severe headache, rash, discomfort looking into bright light, or confusion.

Since it is difficult to tell the difference between viral or bacterial meningitis, if you think you or your child has it, see your doctor right away.

Can meningitis be spread from person to person?

Yes. Bacterial and viral meningitis can both be spread from person to person. It is spread through direct contact with the respiratory secretions (coughing, kissing) of an infected person. Viral meningitis can also be found in the stool of an infected person. It is spread this way mainly among small children who are not yet toilet trained or when changing diapers.

Should I keep my child home from school?

Children with bacterial meningitis are usually hospitalized. There are no specific exclusions from school for viral meningitis, but hospitalization is common.

How soon do infected people get sick?

Symptoms usually begin within three or four days after exposure, however, onset may vary from as early as 2 days to as late as 10 days.

How can meningitis be prevented?

Good personal hygiene and hand washing lowers your chances of getting infected. There is preventive therapy for people who have had close personal contact with someone infected with bacterial meningitis. However, only certain bacterial infections require preventive treatment with antibiotics for those contacts. If diagnosed with bacterial meningitis, the Kent County Health Department can help determine which close contacts should be treated with antibiotics. Preventive therapy is generally not necessary for people who have only shared office or classroom space.

Is there a vaccine for meningitis?

A vaccine against one type of meningitis has been developed (Neisseria Meningitis). It does not provide protection against all strains in the United States. In a departure from past recommendations, a government panel is now recommending that all college freshmen living in dorms be vaccinated for meningitis. The panel is also advising doctors to inoculate all 11-to 12-year-old children. The new recommendation by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices is a reversal of previous policy and was driven by the availability of a new vaccine, Menactra. Widespread vaccination for college students was not recommended the last time this issue was addressed in 1997, due to the high cost of vaccination and the fairly low risk of contracting bacterial meningitis. Vaccines for Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib), once a leading cause of bacterial meningitis, are given to all children as part of their routine immunizations. Check with your doctor or the Kent County Health Department for vaccination information and availability.

COVID-19

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is a respiratory disease that can result in serious illness or death. It is caused by a new strain of coronavirus not previously identified in humans and easily spread from person to person. There is currently a vaccine available to students ages 12 and up.

School Attendance

Students who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 will be quarantined for a period of time determined by their health care professional in coordination with the county health department. All contact tracing protocols and other quarantine and self-isolation policies will be enacted on a case by case basis based upon the guidance of the medical professionals involved and the local health department.