Meningitis and septicaemia

Jun 8, 2007 2:58 PM

Meningitis is an inflammation of the brain lining, or meninges, which can cause serious disability or death.

Septicaemia is the blood poisoning form of the disease.

Are there different types of meningitis?

Yes. Meningitis is usually caused by either bacteria or a virus. A small number of cases can be caused by fungal infection.

Viral meningitis is more common than bacterial but is rarely life-threatening.

It is usually caught through poor hygiene, coughing and sneezing. It cannot be treated with antibiotics but most people who have it make a full recovery.

" Signs of meningitis in babies:

Tense or bulging soft spot on front of the head

Vomiting/refusing to feed

Irritable

Breathing rapid or laboured

Extreme shivering

Purple bruising or pin prick marks

Cold hands or feet

Blotchy or blue skin

Floppy, or stiff, jerky body "

What about bacterial forms of the disease?
Meningitis caused by bacteria tends to be more serious. Broadly, there are two types of bacterial disease: meningococcal and pneumococal.

Meningococcal meningitis, caused by the bacterium Neisseria meningitidis, is the most common in the UK and the source of most recent reports.

In the main, it is caused by three different strains of meningococcal bacteria, known as group A, B and C.

The B strain accounts for 60% of British cases and kills 200 Britons a year.

The A strain is rare in the UK, but has caused a large number of deaths in some parts of the world, particularly sub-Saharan Africa

Most cases of meningococcal meningitis can be treated with antibiotics, but it is important to catch the disease early.

The majority of patients survive, but experts think around an eighth of patients suffer after-effects.

These include brain damage, loss of sight, hearing impairments, arthritis, fits, loss of balance, depression and fatigue. Most of the after-effects disappear after a year.

What symptoms should I look out for?

Most people do not become seriously ill, but some can develop a fever, headache, vomiting, stiff neck, drowsiness, sensitivity to light.

The patient may also develop a red rash which looks like red pin pricks, and wich may develop into purple bruises, blood blisters or blood spots.

A tell-tale test is to press a clear glass firmly against the skin to see if the rash fades and loses its colour. If it doesn't, contact your doctor immediately.

What about the pneumococcal form?

Pneumococcal bacteria (Streptococcus pneumoniae) are the second biggest cause of bacterial meningitis in the UK.

Pneumococcal meningitis has the same symptoms as other forms of bacterial meningitis.

About 85% of people who get pneumococcal meningitis recover, at least half of them without serious problems.

However, survivors are more likely to have after effects, including deafness, seizures and long-term brain damage than in other forms.

How is septicaemia linked to meningitis?

Septicaemia is a form of blood poisoning which may be caused by the same bugs that cause meningitis. There are meningococcal and pneumococal forms of the disease.

It occurs when the bugs enter the blood stream, and begin to multiply.

This may happen on its own or with an attack of meningitis.

Septicaemia is very serious and must be treated straight away.

The characteristic rash described above is actually a sign of septicaemia.

Other symptoms include fever, rapid breathing, and pains in the muscles, joints or stomach.

How are the diseases contracted?

Many people harbour the bacteria that cause meningitis at the back of their throat and nose without becoming ill, but it is thought people with weakened immune systems may go on to develop the disease.

The bacteria can be transmitted through coughing, sneezing and intimate kissing.

However, they do not survive for long outside the body so it cannot be picked up from public areas such as swimming pools.

Most people who go on to get the illness show the first symptoms within two to 10 days of contact with the bacteria.

How long is a person contagious?

A person with the bacteria can be contagious from the time they are infected until the bacteria has disappeared from their body.

How is it treated?

Antibiotics can be used to treat the bacteria, with penicillin being the most common drug used.

People who have been in close contact with a person with meningococcal meningitis may also have to be treated with antibiotics such as rifampin or ciprofloxacin.

People who have been in casual contact with an infected person do not normally need to be treated, except if there is a more widespread outbreak of the disease.

If this happens, vaccines may be used, but they only treat two strains of meningococcal meningitis.

Are vaccines available?

Yes. However there is no vaccine that protects against all strains of the disease.

Crucially, scientists have yet to formulate a vaccine that is effective against B strain meningococcal meningitis.

On the plus side, the introduction of a vaccination programme has greatly reduced cases of Group C disease in the age groups targeted for vaccination.

Two vaccines that protect against pneumococcal disease are available.

This information is not comprehensive and, if you have concerns about meningococcal meningitis, consult your doctor or ring the Meningitis Research Foundation helpline on Freefone 080 8800 3344.