Meningitis is a condition that causes inflammation of the membranes and fluids that surround the spinal cord and brain. Each year, around one million people all across the world get affected by this disease. One of the most common causes of this condition is germs, which include parasites, fungi, bacteria, and viruses. There are five types of meningitis in all including— bacterial, viral, parasitic, fungal, and non-infectious, however, the following are the most common and are classified by the cause of the disease:
1. Bacterial meningitis
Bacterial meningitis is a type of meningitis that develops rapidly in a few hours and can cause disability permanently, resulting in death. Around ten to twenty percent of the cases can be fatal which comprise almost seventy hundred thousand deaths all over the world. In most cases, the affected person may lose their ability to function due to the symptoms. Many of the cases are caused by Haemophilus influenzae type b, streptococcus pneumoniae, and Neisseria meningitidis. There are a lot of people who carry the disease-causing bacteria in the throat and their nose. Such bacteria can spread from one person to another via respiratory droplets.
2. Viral meningitis
Viral meningitis is another common form of meningitis disease and is less severe in most of the cases. Many individuals do recover from this type of meningitis but have permanent after-effects despite full recovery after several months or a few weeks. Most of the viruses can result in meningitis. Such viruses can spread via fecal contamination or respiratory droplets. One of the very common groups of the disease-causing virus is the enteroviruses that are present in the intestinal and respiratory tracts. As a result, people may experience a sore throat and cold along with fever, muscle aches, and headaches. This group of viruses, with time, spreads to the meninges, resulting in meningitis. The mumps virus can also result in the development of the disease. However, the measles-mumps-rubella combined vaccination has gradually made this rare. In several countries, there are high rates of immunization of MMR. Although there are no vaccines available that protect from this type of meningitis, the best way to prevent it is by practicing proper hygiene.
3. Fungal meningitis
Fungal meningitis can be a severe type of meningitis, but it does not occur that often. This type of meningitis is not contagious and can spread through fungal spores present in the environment. It has been observed that those who have a weak immune system or those who suffer from AIDS are more likely to develop this condition. There are no vaccines that are available to protect a person from fungal meningitis.
A person can also develop the disease from parasites and agents that are non-infectious, such as a current condition of the spine or skull, surgery of the brain, lupus, and cancer.
