Bacteria or a virus usually cause this condition. The infection occurs 10 days to two weeks before the symptoms appear.
The cause of spinal meningitis is most often a bacterial or viral infection. For example, bacterial causes include pneumococcal meningitis, meningococcal meningitis, and haemophilus meningitis. Viral causes can include enteroviruses and other viruses (such as mumps, HIV, and influenza). Less common causes of spinal meningitis include fungal infections, some types of cancer, and traumatic injury to the head or spine.
The causes of spinal meningitis are usually a bacterial or viral infection ( known as bacterial meningitis and viral meningitis, respectively ). Other causes include :
- Fungal infection
- Some types of cancer
- Traumatic injury to the head or spine
- Inflammatory disease (such as lupus)
- Reaction to certain medication or medical treatments
Causes of Spinal Meningitis : Fungal Infections
Many fungal infections can affect the brain. The most common form of fungal meningitis is caused by the fungus cryptococcus neoformans (found mainly in dirt and bird droppings).
Causes of Spinal Meningitis : Bacterial Meningitis
Bacterial meningitis is a rare but potentially fatal disease. It can be caused by several types of bacteria that first cause an upper respiratory tract infection and then travel through the bloodstream to the brain. The disease can also occur when certain bacteria invade the meninges directly. The disease can block blood vessels in the brain, causing stroke and permanent brain damage.
Bacteria cause bacterial meningitis ?
Bacterial meningitis is most commonly caused by one of three types of bacteria : Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), Neisseria meningitidis, and Streptococcus pneumoniae.
Before the 1990s, Hib was the leading cause of bacterial meningitis, but new vaccines being given to children as part of their routine immunizations have reduced the occurrence of serious Hib disease. Today, Neisseria meningitidis and Streptococcus pneumoniae are the leading causes of bacterial meningitis. Meningitis caused by Neisseria meningitidis is also called Meningococcal Meningitis. Meningitis caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae is called Pneumococcal Meningitis.
It is important to know which type of bacteria is causing the bacterial meningitis because antibiotics can prevent some types from spreading and infecting other people.
The most common causes of meningitis are viral infections that usually resolve without treatment. However, bacterial infections of the meninges are extremely serious illnesses, and may result in death or brain damage, even if treated. Meningitis is also caused by fungi, chemical irritation, drug allergies, and tumors.
Actually, all politics are local and all meningitis is "spinal," since the infectious agent circulates freely through the medium of the spinal fluid between the brain and spinal cord.
