Meningitis

Factsheet

Key Facts

• Meningitis is a devastating disease that can be deadly and often results in serious long-term health issues.
• Meningitis remains a major global public health challenge.
• Many organisms can cause meningitis, including bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites.
• Bacterial meningitis is of particular concern. Around 1 in 6 people who get this type of meningitis die and 1 in 5 have severe complications.
• Epidemics of meningitis are seen across the world, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.
• Vaccines are the most effective way to deliver long-lasting protection.

Meningitis is the inflammation of the tissues surrounding the brain and spinal cord. It can be infectious or non-infectious in origin, can be associated with high risk of death and long-term complications, and requires urgent medical care.

Meningitis remains a significant global health threat. It can be caused by several species of bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites. Injuries, cancers and drugs cause a small number of cases.

Bacterial meningitis is the most serious type of meningitis. It is a severe, life-threatening condition that can often lead to long-term adverse health consequences. There are four main causes of acute bacterial meningitis:

• Neisseria meningitidis (meningococcus)
• Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus)
• Haemophilus influenzae
• Streptococcus agalactiae (group B streptococcus).

These bacteria are responsible for more than half of the deaths from meningitis globally and can cause other severe diseases like sepsis and pneumonia.

Additional important causes of meningitis worldwide include other bacteria species (e.g. Mycobacterium tuberculosis, non-typhoidal Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes), viruses (e.g. enteroviruses, herpesviruses and arboviruses), fungi (e.g. Cryptococcus spp.), and parasites (e.g. some species of amoebae).