Ask the Expert

Growth and Nutrition Experts’s Bio Image

Get answers to your child's growth, nutrition, and feeding behavior questions.

Growth and Nutrition Experts’s Bio | Q&A Archive

Note: This is for informational purposes only. Doctors cannot provide a diagnosis or individual treatment advice via e-mail. Please consult your physician about your specific health care concerns.

Please install flash player to see this video.

Meningitis - meningococcal - Overview

Alternative Names

Meningococcal meningitis

Definition of Meningitis - meningococcal:

Meningococcal meningitis is an infection that causes swelling and irritation (inflammation) of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Meningococcal meningitis is caused by the bacteria Neisseria meningitidis (also known as meningococcus).

Most cases of meningococcal meningitis occur in children. Meningococcus is the most common cause of bacterial meningitis in children and the second most common cause of bacterial meningitis in adults.

The infection occurs more often in winter or spring. It may cause local epidemics at boarding schools, college dormitories, or military bases.

Risk factors include recent exposure to meningococcal meningitis and a recent upper respiratory infection.

Meningococcal lesions on the back

Reviewed last on: 9/28/2008
David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; and Jatin M. Vyas, PhD, MD, Instructor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Assistant in Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Swartz MN. Meningitis: bacterial, viral, and other. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 437.

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. © 1997- A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.

Home > Medical Reference > Encyclopedia (English)