Strategies for the Prevention of Meningitis

Abstract

Meningitis is a clinical condition involving inflammation of the meninges that most commonly affects otherwise healthy people. Generally, the meningitides are of infectious etiology that can be viral, bacterial, fungal, or parasitic in nature, although iatrogenic causes are rarely reported (Table 1). Inflammation of the meninges can pose serious dangers to patients, given that many of the areas affected are encased by bony structures that can exacerbate tissue damage caused by swelling. Collapse of the blood vessels, causing hypoxic damage, is a particularly dangerous effect of inflammation in the brain. In fact, permanent disability and death may result from all forms of meningitis. Further, sepsis, bacteremia, or other disease processes can be caused by the same infectious agents that cause meningitis. Epidemics associated with certain pathogens, like the meningococcus, pose a serious public health risk, and therefore require prevention and control strategies. The quest to limit the