Pathogens: The Five Types Of Meningitis

Meningitis, also known as spinal meningitis, is a viral or bacterial infection causing inflammation of the membranes, called meninges. Meninges act as a natural protective barrier that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. When the barrier is permeable, infections are able to transmit a disease in or through and cause serious or even fatal effects. There are different causes for the different categories of meningitis resulting in different symptoms and severities in each.

Meningitis is a serious infection of the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord. It is caused by meningococcal disease, which is contracted by 1,000 to 2,600 people yearly in the United States. Meningococcal disease is also serious, with one in ten cases leading to

Meningitis is an infection of the fluid of a person’s spinal cord and fluid that surrounds a person’s brain. It is sometimes referred to as Spinal Meningitis. It’s usually caused by either a bacterial or viral infection. As you read through this paper you will learn how Meningitis is transmitted, its symptoms, its effects, and even the incidences it has caused.

Bacterial Meningitis affects the nervous system by causing inflammation of a trio of membranes known as the Meninges that are situated around the brain and spinal cord. It 's a disease that is slowly but surely being defeated worldwide with mortality rates falling from 464,000 deaths in 1990 to 303,000 in 2013[3]. Common symptoms throughout the period of an infection include; headaches, vomiting, fever, neck stiffness and an altered mental state. The severity of symptoms can depend on the species of bacteria that caused the infection. Due to recent medical advancements the rates of mortality have fallen considerably in the developed world, however meningitis is still prevalent in less economically developed countries. In this document I will be describing the various inner workings of the disease, but more specifically, it 's pathogenesis, epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment and preventative methods, furthermore I shall also be focusing more on the prevalence of the disease in the UK, as opposed to other locations. [1]

There are three types of pathogens that cause meningitis. The first type of pathogen is Haemophilus influenzae type b. It is an aerobic gram-negative bacteria, meaning they have relatively thin cell walls and can be resistant to antibiotic treatment. In 95% of invasive diseases are caused by type b. Before the introduction of a vaccine, it was the leading cause of bacterial meningitis most common in infants. The organism colonizes in the nasopharynx (the upper part of the throat behind the nose) and can sometimes invade the bloodstream and cause infection at a distant site.

Meningococcal Meningitis is the inflammation of the protective coverings of brain and spinal cord called the meninges. Meningococcal Meningitis is caused by the Neisseria meningitidis bacteria (Theobald, M, 2014). There are five forms of meningitis, bacterial being the most fatal. The other form types are viral, parasitic, fungal, and non-infectious. Meningococcal Meningitis can also be caused by other bacterium called Streptococcus pneumoniae, group B Streptococcus, Haemophilus influenzae, and, Listeria monocytogenes (CDC, 2016). Without any treatment of meningitis, it can spread into the blood and cause sepsis--when chemicals released into the bloodstream to fight the infection, trigger inflammatory responses throughout the body. This inflammation can trigger a cascade of changes that can damage multiple organ systems, causing them to fail (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2016). Meningitis is usually caused as a secondary infection when it makes its way into the central nervous

Meningococcal Meningitis is the infection and inflammation of the meninges. Newborns and infants are at greatest risk for contracting bacterial meningitis with Neisseria meningitides being the typical pathogen in the majority of children age 2 months through 12 years (London, Ladewig, Ball, Bindler, & Cowen, 2011). There is a mortality rate of 10% for children who develop meningitis from this particular bacterium (Muller, 2013).

“The particular form of meningitis called Meningococcal Meningitis is an infection that affects the brain and the spinal cord” (Meningococcal meningitis, 2015). “There is a thin lining that surrounds the brain and when Meningococcal Meningitis is present then this lining is affected” (Meningococcal meningitis, 2015). This infection is considered so dangerous because both the spinal cord and the brain are extremely important parts of the human body. “Meningococcal meningitis is a bacterial form of meningitis, a serious infection of the meninges that affects the brain membrane. It can cause severe brain damage and is fatal in 50% of cases if untreated” (Meningococcal meningitis, 2015). As stated, the brain damage that can occur due to the bacteria can cause death in the worst cases. “There are different kinds of bacteria that can be the cause of meningitis but Neisseria Meningitidis has the largest chance of causing a big epidemic” (Meningococcal Disease, 2015).

The causes of meningitis vary depending on a persons age group. For newborns the causes are Group B listeria, Escherichia coli, and Listeria monocytogenes. For infants and children the causes are Streptococcus pneumonia, Neisseria meningitides, and Haemophilus influenza type B. The causes for adults are Nesseria meningitides, Streptococcus pneumonia, and Listeria monocytogenes. The incubation period for this disease is two to ten days. Their are many different types of meningitis such as bacterial, viral, fungal, parasitic, and non-

Bacterial meningitis is the most common form of meningitis. Approximately 80% of all meningitis associated cases are bacterial, the disease is the critical reason for increasing morbidity rates in young children under the age group of one year. In the last 20 years (1991–2010) close to one million suspected meningitis cases were reported in the UK and in the US. [8] [5] The ‘meninges’ is the name for the three membranes that envelope the brain and cord (the central nervous system). Bacterial meningitis is caused by three different bacteria’s: Haemophilus influenzae type b, Neisseria meningitidis, and the Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria. The bacteria spreads across the spinal cord and optic nerves, within the bacteria it 's fluid contents, the cerebrospinal fluid. The excessive manifestation of bacteria and their toxins within these areas, results in an inflammation of the cranial or spinal structures. This inflammation will consequence in severe damage to the nervous system and brain structures unless treated. Due to the nature of the meninges and the cerebrospinal fluid, an infection of any area of the system can rapidly spread to the rest of the system In this review I will discuss the epidemiology and pathogenesis of bacterial meningitis in young children and its subsequent clinical diagnosis of effective vaccines.[2]

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, meningitis is the inflammation of the meninges and affects the brain and spinal cord. There are five types of meningitis: viral, bacterial, fungal, parasitic, and non-infectious meningitis. The symptoms are somewhat similar, though the causes and recommended treatments differ. Bacterial meningitis is the most contagious type of meningitis. All types of meningitis can be very debilitating to your health if not treated promptly (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2014).

Group B streptococcus or streptococcus agalaetiae was previously responsible for meningitis in neonates but now it has been reported with increasing frequency in individuals less than 50 years of age particularly those with underlying diseases.

There are many things in life that aren’t good for people’s health and that can cause for many human beings to die. Cancer of any kind, AIDS, pneumonia, meningitis and several other diseases or syndromes can be deadly or incurable. Vaccines and antibiotics are there to help people but won’t always cure it for sure to be 100% safe.Meningitis is a severe disease that humans can get at any age,but the symptoms can be different,(Anthony D. Harris, M.D., Associate Professor of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, University of Maryland.) meningitis happens when the membranes,also called meninges are infected that line and protect the fluid,brain,and the spinal cord.The history of meningitis,5 types of meningitis,,symptoms,side effects,and ways to prevent this frightening disease are all true facts but it isn’t something any human would want to have.

Bacterial Meningitis is a very serious illness and it needs to be taken care of immediately or it could result in death. The bacteria that cause this condition are meningococci, pneumococci and haemophilus

Meningitis is an inflammation of the meninges, membranes that surround the brain. This can extend as far as infecting the cerebral spinal fluid on top of causing the tissue to swell. Meningitis comes in two major forms; bacterially and virally. However, having bacterial meningitis is much more severe than viral meningitis. There is a lot more danger in having a bacterial infection within the brain than a viral infection within the brain. What makes bacterial meningitis so lethal is that “even when the disease is diagnosed early and adequate treatment is started, 5% to 10% of patients die, typically within 24 to 48 hours after the onset of symptoms. Left untreated, up to 50% of cases may die, (6) or there