International Day Against Meningitis

Meningitis is a very serious disease that affects the spinal cord and the membranes of the brain, causing serious injuries, disability and in some cases, even death.

Almost 90% of meningitis cases are caused by infections due to viral or bacterial agents. While enteroviruses are the agents most frequently implicated in viral meningitis, pneumococci and meningococci are the main culprits in bacterial meningitis. All these agents mostly share the characteristic that they are usually transmitted through saliva or by droplets shed when speaking, coughing or sneezing.