About meningitis

On this page we'll cover the causes, symptoms and risk factors associated with meningitis. We’ll also share the treatment and recovery process after diagnosis.

• Meningitis is a serious, often life-threatening illness that can kill in hours.
• Meningitis affects around 2.3 million people globally every year.¹
• One in ten people who get meningitis will die.¹
• Anyone can get meningitis, but some people are at higher risk than others.

What is meningitis?

Meningitis is the swelling of the lining of the brain and spinal cord (called meninges).

Meningitis is usually caused by:

• Bacteria.
• Viruses.
• Fungi.

The germs that cause meningitis can also sometimes cause sepsis.

Rarer causes of meningitis include:

• Parasites, which are usually found in animals and infect humans when they eat contaminated food. The most common meningitis-causing parasites are:
   

  —Angiostrongylus cantonensis, found in slugs and snails in South East Asia.

  —Baylisascaris procyonis, which can cause infection if you accidentally eat the eggs commonly found in racoon faeces. It’s predominantly found in the United States.

  —Gnathostoma spinigerum, which causes infection via raw or undercooked freshwater fish or eels, frogs, poultry or snakes. It’s most common in Thailand and Japan.

• Non-infectious means such as:
   

  —Certain types of cancer that can spread to the meninges. This is known as leptomeningeal carcinomatosis (LMC), or carcinomatous meningitis. This type of meningitis is most common in patients with cancer that affects the blood and bone marrow, but cancer can cause meningitis symptoms in up to 5% of patients with solid tumours.

  —Autoimmune diseases, when your own immune system attacks the lining of the brain. Autoimmune meningitis has been associated with diseases such as lupus, Behçet disease and vasculitis.

What are the symptoms of meningitis?

The symptoms of meningitis can progress rapidly, and early diagnosis and treatment will increase the chances of a full recovery.

Early symptoms of meningitis can look very similar to milder, more common infections.

Symptoms may include:

• Fever.
• Vomiting.
• Severe headache.
• Stiff neck (less common in young children).
• Seizures (fits).
• Confused / delirious.
• Very sleepy / vacant / difficult to wake.

• High temperature (warning: could be normal or low in babies under three months old).
• Irritability.
• Vomiting / refusing to feed.
• A high-pitched cry.
• A stiff body with jerky movements or else floppy and lifeless.
• Very sleepy / staring expression / too sleepy to wake up.
• Tense or bulging soft spot on the top of their head.

Not everyone with meningitis will get all these symptoms.

The symptoms of bacterial and viral meningitis can be very similar, and it’s not possible to know what is causing the illness without further testing. People with bacterial meningitis will get worse fast and need urgent treatment with antibiotics, while meningitis caused by a virus is generally much less dangerous.

Check regularly on someone who is unwell. Always trust your instincts and get professional medical help immediately if you or someone you know is seriously ill.

Learn more about the symptoms of meningitis.

The symptoms of fungal meningitis are like the other causes but they usually progress more gradually, often over several weeks.

Who can get meningitis?

Anyone, anywhere and at any age can get meningitis, but some people are at higher risk than others. 

Risk factors include:

• Age: babies are a particularly high-risk group because they have less developed immune systems.
• Where you live.
• Certain existing medical conditions.

How is meningitis treated?

Meningitis is a medical emergency, and fast treatment offers the best chance of recovery. Seek medical help immediately if you are worried you or a loved one may have meningitis.

The treatment for meningitis depends on what germs have caused the illness: 

• Viral meningitis often gets better without medical treatment. 
• Bacterial meningitis needs urgent treatment with antibiotics.
• Fungal meningitis is slower to develop but needs treatment with anti-fungal medication.

When you get to hospital the doctor may do a lumbar puncture (LP) to help diagnose meningitis. A lumbar puncture involves taking a sample of cerebrospinal fluid from the spinal canal (the space through the back bones which contains the spinal cord). A lumbar puncture is important to confirm the diagnosis of meningitis. It will also show which germ is causing the illness so doctors can choose the most appropriate treatment.

If you’re very unwell, you might be transferred to a special ward in the hospital where you can be regularly monitored by hospital staff. In the UK, this is known as an Intensive Care Unit. Very severely ill patients may have a prolonged stay, for weeks or even months.

You may need follow-up care after your discharge from hospital. The type of follow-up care you’ll need and how long it lasts will depend on how meningitis affected you.

Do people recover from meningitis?

Most people recover from meningitis with no lasting effects.

Around one in five people who have bacterial meningitis are left with permanent after-effects.

Can we prevent meningitis?

The best way to protect yourself and your family from meningitis is to take up any vaccines available to you.

Vaccines are available that prevent the most common severe causes of meningitis. These vaccines have dramatically reduced cases of meningitis throughout the world.²

Vaccine availability is different around the world. You can find out about your own country’s immunisation programmes on the WHO Immunization Data Portal.

It’s important to remember that vaccines do not protect against all causes of meningitis, so make sure you know the symptoms. Early recognition and treatment provide the best chance of a good recovery.