how do u catch meningitis? ie how is it spread?

[MerlinsBeard]

One of DS1s friends has suspected meningitis, and it made meealise how little i know about it other than the signs to look for.

I had a look at the NHS Direct site and am more clued up now but there a few things that i can't find the answers to that i wondered if MN could help with?

Can it be spread thru sneezes/coughs etc? Is there a period of time that the virus is in the body b4 you contract it? (thinking of this childs other friends he will have been in close contact with at playschool)

I always thought it was airborne but not long lasting iyswim but TBH yeah I know very very little about it! That's a bit scary isn't it.. watches in interest

please take a look at the meningitis research foundation website, all the info you want will be on there, you can also call them if you are worried and need some advice.

it can also result as a complication of some other illness - such as measles, type B influenza, etc.

My sister has a form of meningitis that doctors discovered was caused from a cut which caused staphcoccal (sp )septicemia.

a friend of mine picked up viral meningitis in Mexico.

i think it also depends what type it is, there is viral and bacterial etc, some of the bacterial strains are carried in the throat and back of the nose in some people without any ill effects, i would look for some proffesional advice.

\link{http://www.meningitis.org/\This} site may be of use to you.

dd's was caused by conjunctivitis which was not cleared by drops

I had it when I was a lot younger, it came immediately after Mumps which apparently is farily common. I was the only one that we knew that had it, so guess mine wasnt viral.

We think that amyjades Dd1s was triggered by a middle ear infection, she wasnt given antibiotics for.

The most important thing i can say is that all forms of bacterial meningitis are extremely life threatening! The most common form in the uk is Meningicoccal group B meningitis where the so called 'Rash' is seen in severe cases. The second most common is Pneumococcal meningitis which is the strain that my Dd died from.
The most dangerous thing about this strain is the lack of knowledge and the fact the symptoms do not include the 'rash' which most people look for when diagnosing meningitis.

I know that if a child is diagnosed with Meningicoccal meningitis then people who have been in close contact need antibiotics. Pneumococcal is not spread as easy and for some reason there is no need for others to have antibiotics.

Like izzybiz said some people carry these bacterias in their throats with no ill effects but for some reason especially in young children these bacterias overcome the bodys defence and cause meningitis.

The Meningitis research website is very helpfull and explains all you need to know about the disease and the vaccinations.

Hope this helps

In NZ the advice is for children NOT to share drink bottles and cups at school .... because of meningitis.
At children's parties people write the names of the children in marker pen on the cups and most children check before drinking that it is their cup.

ds2 had menengitis about 6 wks ago - we were told its present in some people and in certain circumstances it develops. Everyone he'd been in contact with had to have antibiotics.

When DD2 was at playgroup (she is 21 now) a child there was diagnosed with meningitis and before the type was confirmed all the children who attended had to be given a particular kind of antibiotic as a precaution (it turned out to be viral, and the child made a full recovery, but it takes a while to test for).