The bacteria that cause most cases of bacterial meningitis are normally present in our environment and can live in our noses and respiratory systems without causing any problems. However, this bacteria can infect the brain by spreading from an infection in a nearby part of the body, such as from a sinus infection, or can be carried to the brain by the blood. It can also enter the brain after a head injury, such as a skull fracture. People with bacterial meningitis are contagious anywhere from two days to two weeks, depending on the type of bacteria that causes the infection.
Most people are exposed to the bacterium that causes meningitis at some point in their lives, though they may never know it because only a small fraction of people develop meningitis from it. Many healthy people carry the bacteria in their mouth or throat and never get sick from it, but in rare cases, it breaks through a person's immune system and travels through the bloodstream or sometimes through the sinuses to the brain. The bacteria then infects the protective membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord, causing dangerous swelling and inflammation that is only relieved with antibiotic treatment.
"Why some people get infected and others don't, nobody knows," says Dr. Goldmann. "So you can't worry about it on a day to day basis, but there are clearly some factors that may make a person more susceptible than others." Those factors include :
Those factors include:
- Having been in close contact with someone who has bacterial meningitis (especially when it's due to meningococcus, a type of bacteria that is more contagious than others)
- Having a compromised immune system
- Having traveled to an area of the world where meningitis is widespread (consult your doctor for the recommended vaccinations before traveling overseas).
- While some forms of bacterial meningitis are contagious, especially meningococcus, none is transmitted as easily as the common cold or the flu. However, bacterial meningitis can be spread through the exchange of respiratory and throat secretions, such as:
- Coughing or sneezing
- Kissing
- Sharing drinks
If someone is in close contact with a person who has bacterial meningitis, such as a roommate, parent, sibling, daycare worker, classmate, or boyfriend or girlfriend, they are at an increased risk and should go to the doctor for antibiotics to prevent bacterial meningitis before symptoms occur.
The above information thankfully comes from the childrenshospital.org at the following link.
