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People who died from Meningitis

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Meningitis is an acute inflammation (swelling) of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, known collectively as the meninges.

The inflammation may be caused by infection with viruses, bacteria, or other microorganisms, and less commonly by certain drugs. Meningitis can be life-threatening because of the inflammation's proximity to the brain and spinal cord; therefore, the condition is classified as a medical emergency.

The swelling from meningitis typically triggers symptoms such as headache, fever and a stiff neck. Most cases of meningitis in the U.S. are caused by a viral infection, but bacterial and fungal infections are other causes. Some cases of meningitis improve without treatment in a few weeks. Others can be life-threatening and require emergent antibiotic treatment.

The word meningitis is from Greek μῆνιγξ méninx, "membrane" and the medical suffix -itis, "inflammation".

Symptoms

  • Early meningitis symptoms may mimic the flu (influenza). Symptoms may develop over several hours or over a few days. Each type of meningitis has some distinguishing symptoms.
  • The symptoms of viral and bacterial meningitis can be similar in the beginning. However, bacterial meningitis symptoms are usually more severe. The symptoms also vary depending on your age.
  • Possible signs and symptoms in anyone older than the age of 2 include:
    • Sudden high fever
    • Stiff neck
    • Severe headache that seems different than normal
    • Headache with nausea or vomiting
    • Confusion or difficulty concentrating
    • Seizures
    • Sleepiness or difficulty waking
    • Sensitivity to light
    • No appetite or thirst
    • Skin rash (sometimes, such as in meningococcal meningitis)

Bacterial meningitis is serious, and can be fatal within days without prompt antibiotic treatment. Delayed treatment increases the risk of permanent brain damage or death.

Causes

Viral infections are the most common cause of meningitis, followed by bacterial infections and, rarely, fungal infections. Because bacterial infections can be life-threatening, identifying the cause is essential.

  • Bacterial meningitis (see also: https://www.cdc.gov/meningitis/bacterial.html)
    • Bacteria that enter the bloodstream and travel to the brain and spinal cord cause acute bacterial meningitis. But it can also occur when bacteria directly invade the meninges. This may be caused by an ear or sinus infection, a skull fracture, or, rarely, after some surgeries.
    • Generally, the germs that cause bacterial meningitis spread from one person to another. Certain germs can spread through food. How people spread the germs often depends on the type of bacteria.
  • Several strains of bacteria can cause acute bacterial meningitis, most commonly:
    • Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus). This bacterium is the most common cause of bacterial meningitis in infants, young children and adults in the United States. It more commonly causes pneumonia or ear or sinus infections. A vaccine can help prevent this infection.
    • Neisseria meningitidis (meningococcus). This bacterium is another leading cause of bacterial meningitis. These bacteria commonly cause an upper respiratory infection but can cause meningococcal meningitis when they enter the bloodstream. This is a highly contagious infection that affects mainly teenagers and young adults. It may cause local epidemics in college dormitories, boarding schools and military bases. A vaccine can help prevent infection.
    • Haemophilus influenzae (haemophilus). Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) bacterium was once the leading cause of bacterial meningitis in children. But new Hib vaccines have greatly reduced the number of cases of this type of meningitis.
    • Listeria monocytogenes (listeria). These bacteria can be found in unpasteurized cheeses, hot dogs and luncheon meats. Pregnant women, newborns, older adults and people with weakened immune systems are most susceptible. Listeria can cross the placental barrier, and infections in late pregnancy may be fatal to the baby.
  • Viral meningitis (see also: https://www.cdc.gov/meningitis/viral.html)
    • Viral meningitis is usually mild and often clears on its own. Most cases in the United States are caused by a group of viruses known as enteroviruses, which are most common in late summer and early fall. Viruses such as herpes simplex virus, HIV, mumps, West Nile virus and others also can cause viral meningitis.
    • People can spread the viruses that cause viral meningitis to other people. If you have close contact with someone who has viral meningitis, they may spread the virus to you. However, you are not likely to develop meningitis. That’s because most people infected with these viruses will not develop meningitis.
  • Chronic meningitis
    • Slow-growing organisms (such as fungi and Mycobacterium tuberculosis) that invade the membranes and fluid surrounding your brain cause chronic meningitis. Chronic meningitis develops over two weeks or more. The symptoms of chronic meningitis — headaches, fever, vomiting and mental cloudiness — are similar to those of acute meningitis.
  • Fungal meningitis (see also: https://www.cdc.gov/meningitis/fungal.html)
    • Fungal meningitis is relatively uncommon and causes chronic meningitis. It may mimic acute bacterial meningitis. Fungal meningitis isn't contagious from person to person. Cryptococcal meningitis is a common fungal form of the disease that affects people with immune deficiencies, such as AIDS. It's life-threatening if not treated with an antifungal medication.
  • Parasitic Meningitis
    • Various parasites can cause meningitis or can affect the brain or nervous system in other ways. Overall, parasitic meningitis is much less common than viral and bacterial meningitis. (https://www.cdc.gov/meningitis/parasitic.html)
  • Amebic Meningitis
    • Primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) is a rare and devastating infection of the brain that is caused by a free-living microscopic ameba called Naegleria fowleri which is found naturally in warm water and soil. (https://www.cdc.gov/meningitis/amebic.html)
  • Non-Infectious causes (see also: https://www.cdc.gov/meningitis/non-infectious.html)
    • Meningitis can also result from noninfectious causes, such as chemical reactions, drug allergies, some types of cancer and inflammatory diseases such as sarcoidosis, systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus), certain drugs, head injury, and brain surgery..

Risk factors for meningitis include:

  • Skipping vaccinations. Risk rises for anyone who hasn't completed the recommended childhood or adult vaccination schedule.
  • Age. Most cases of viral meningitis occur in children younger than age 5. Bacterial meningitis is common in those under age 20. After age 60, the risk starts to rise again, because of underlying diseases or health conditions that weaken the immune systems in older individuals.
  • Living in a community setting. College students living in dormitories, personnel on military bases, and children in boarding schools and child care facilities are at greater risk of meningococcal meningitis. This is probably because the bacterium is spread by the respiratory route, and spreads quickly through large groups.
  • Pregnancy. Pregnancy increases the risk of listeriosis — an infection caused by listeria bacteria, which also may cause meningitis. Listeriosis increases the risk of miscarriage, stillbirth and premature delivery.
  • Compromised immune system. AIDS, alcoholism, diabetes, use of immunosuppressant drugs and other factors that affect your immune system also make you more susceptible to meningitis. Having your spleen removed also increases your risk, and patients without a spleen should get vaccinated to minimize that risk.
  • Contagiousness. Several types of meningitis are not contagious. Fungal, parasitic and non-infectious meningitis are not contagious.
    • Viral meningitis is contagious. It’s spread through direct contact with body fluids, including mucus, feces, and saliva. Droplets of infected fluid can be spread and shared with sneezing and coughing.
    • Bacterial meningitis, the most serious form of meningitis, can also be contagious, especially if it’s meningococcal meningitis. It’s spread through extended contact with an infected person.

Prognosis & Statistics

  • Without treatment, the fatality rate can be as high as 70 percent, and one in five survivors of bacterial meningitis may be left with permanent sequelae including hearing loss, neurologic disability, or loss of a limb.
  • The incidence and fatality rates for bacterial meningitis vary by region, country, pathogen, and age group.
  • Viral meningitis, in contrast, tends to resolve spontaneously and is rarely fatal.
  • With treatment, mortality (risk of death) from bacterial meningitis depends on the age of the person and the underlying cause.
  • Of newborns, 20–30% may die from an episode of bacterial meningitis. This risk is much lower in older children, whose mortality is about 2%, but rises again to about 19–37% in adults.
  • Although meningitis is a notifiable disease in many countries, the exact incidence rate is unknown.
  • In 2013 meningitis resulted in 303,000 deaths – down from 464,000 deaths in 1990.
  • In 2010 it was estimated that meningitis resulted in 420,000 deaths, excluding cryptococcal meningitis.
  • Bacterial meningitis occurs in about 3 people per 100,000 annually in Western countries.
  • Population-wide studies have shown that viral meningitis is more common, at 10.9 per 100,000, and occurs more often in the summer.
  • In Brazil, the rate of bacterial meningitis is higher, at 45.8 per 100,000 annually.
  • Sub-Saharan Africa has been plagued by large epidemics of meningococcal meningitis for over a century, leading to it being labeled the "meningitis belt".
  • Epidemics typically occur in the dry season (December to June), and an epidemic wave can last two to three years, dying out during the intervening rainy seasons.
  • Attack rates of 100–800 cases per 100,000 are encountered in this area, which is poorly served by medical care. These cases are predominantly caused by meningococci.
  • The largest epidemic ever recorded in history swept across the entire region in 1996–1997, causing over 250,000 cases and 25,000 deaths
  • Over 1.2 million cases of bacterial meningitis are estimated to occur worldwide each year.

History

Some suggest that Hippocrates may have realized the existence of meningitis, and it seems that meningism was known to pre-Renaissance physicians such as Avicenna. The description of tuberculous meningitis, then called "dropsy in the brain", is often attributed to Edinburgh physician Sir Robert Whytt in a posthumous report that appeared in 1768, although the link with tuberculosis and its pathogen was not made until the next century.

It appears that epidemic meningitis is a relatively recent phenomenon. The first recorded major outbreak occurred in Geneva in 1805. Several other epidemics in Europe and the United States were described shortly afterward, and the first report of an epidemic in Africa appeared in 1840. African epidemics became much more common in the 20th century, starting with a major epidemic sweeping Nigeria and Ghana in 1905–1908.

The first report of bacterial infection underlying meningitis was by the Austrian bacteriologist Anton Weichselbaum, who in 1887 described the meningococcus. Mortality from meningitis was very high (over 90%) in early reports. In 1906, antiserum was produced in horses; this was developed further by the American scientist Simon Flexner and markedly decreased mortality from meningococcal disease. In 1944, penicillin was first reported to be effective in meningitis. The introduction in the late 20th century of Haemophilus vaccines led to a marked fall in cases of meningitis associated with this pathogen, and in 2002, evidence emerged that treatment with steroids could improve the prognosis of bacterial meningitis. World Meningitis Day is celebrated on the 24th of April each year.

People who Died from Meningitis:

  1. Wikipedea -- Deaths from Meningitis (113 people listed)
  2. Ranker - Famous People Who Died of Meningitis (78 people listed)

Additional Reading:

  1. Wikipedia Meningitis
  2. CDC - Meningitis
  3. CDC Bacterial Meningitis
  4. Mayo Clinic - Meningitis
  5. Mayo Clinic Meningitis
  6. WebMD Meningitis - Topic Overview
  7. Encyclopedia.com Meningitis
  8. Healthline Meningitis: Pictures of Rash
  9. Healthline - What Do You Want to Know About Meningitis?

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