Research on Viral and Bacterial Meningitis

Compare and Contrast of Viral and Bacterial Meningitis

Bonita L. Starr-Yoho

COM/155

April 4, 2013

Dr. Cari Kenner

When most people think of meningitis they are more than likely thinking of viral meningitis, because viral meningitis is the most common of all of the meningitides. When in fact there are four types of meningitis, fungal, parasitical, viral and bacterial meningitis. Viral meningitis is most prevalent in the summer months. It affects around 25,000 to 50,000 people a year and it occurs mostly in children. Bacterial meningitis can occur in children and adults. This meningitis affects around 2,400 to 3,000 people a year and can be fatal. While fungal and parasitical meningitides are not contagious, viral and bacterial meningitides are contagious. While viral and bacterial meningitis share some similar symptoms and diagnoses, the diseases differ in causes, treatments, duration and severity.

The symptoms of viral and bacterial meningitis are the same, sudden onset of fever, stiff neck, headache, nausea, vomiting, confusion and sensitivity to light. The diagnoses of these two are the same way, getting a spinal tap or lumbar puncture. A doctor inserts a small needle into the spinal column and withdraws the fluid. The doctor is looking for inflammation and infection and doing the lumbar puncture is the only way to prove that the patient has meningitis. The reason for the lumbar puncture is to count the red and white blood cells; this is how they determine if it is viral or bacterial and whether to put the patient on antibiotics or not. If viral and bacterial meningitides are left untreated, they may cause death, especially with bacterial meningitis, and you could develop serious complications. When or if you think that...