Meningitis is a dangerous infectious brain disease that occurs when brain membranes inflame as a result of infections, medical procedures, accidents or chemicals, according to the website USA Today. Meningitis consists of a bacterial or viral infection that is spread by direct contact with infected feces through the nose and throat. Meningitis typically spreads quickly among young children and those living in a group-living situation. While anyone can get the disease, it mostly affects young children and adults under 40.
Viruses
Some viruses can cause viral meningitis when they enter an individual’s bloodstream. The website Kids Health states that viruses that infect the skin, urinary system, gastrointestinal or respiratory tract can cause meningitis when they enter the bloodstream and infect the brain’s membranes through cerebrospinal fluid or the fluid that circulates in and around the spinal cord. Meningitis viruses are usually transmitted by coughing, sneezing or poor hygiene, but the viruses can also occur in sewage or polluted waters. The website eHealthMD.com states that approximately half of the viral cases in the United States are due to intestinal viruses that originate in feces and spread from hand-to-mouth contact. In addition, some people contract viral meningitis as result of a virus transmitted from a mosquito.
Mumps
People can develop viral meningitis as a result of mumps, a contagious disease that is caused by a mump virus according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most people experience headaches, fever, muscle aches, tiredness, loss of appetite and swollen salivary glands once they contract the disease. People who are not immune to the meningitis either from a previous mumps infection or vaccination are at risk of developing the disease. Meningitis can occur when the brain, the tissue that covers the brain and the spinal cord becomes inflamed as a result of a mumps complication.
Chicken Pox
In severe cases, chicken pox can contribute to the development of viral meningitis, according to the Penn State: Milton S. Hersey Medical Center. Some people may develop meningitis as a result of a chicken pox complication. People develop chicken pox after being infected by the varicella zoster virus. Chicken pox is a contagious disease that usually consists of a fever and an itchy skin rash of blister-like lesions that covers the entire body, but tends to be more concentrated on the face, scalp and/or trunk, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Severe headaches, dizziness, disorientation and a change in personality may signal meningitis.
