Fulminant meningitis: causes, symptoms, treatments and possible prevention

Teresa Grandis she is the courageous mother of an equally courageous young woman. Her daughter is Bebe Vio, very feisty and talented 27 year old fencer and Paralympic champion. In a recent interview given to the magazine 7CourierBebe Vio's mother recalled the most tragic page of her life: «When Bebe was struck by fulminant meningitis it was a blow. I asked myself: will we be able to laugh again?”. Today we know that Bebe Vio found the strength to redeem himself after his illness, despite it the fulminant meningitis that attacked her in 2008 forced doctors to amputate all four limbs of the then 11 year old. The rampant inflammation left no other choice.

Meningitis: what are the causes

What is known about meningitis, and in particular fulminant meningitis? The experts at the Medical Center explain it in great detail Santagostino from Milan: “Meningitis is a very dangerous inflammation of the membranes surrounding the spinal cord and brain. It is a disease that can be prevented with the vaccine and generally caused by viruses, bacteria and fungi. It can also be of a non-infectious type and therefore caused by irritative factors, tumors, drugs.

We speak of aseptic meningitis to describe the infection of viral origin. This is the most common form and also the least severe. Among the most common causes of aseptic meningitis are enteroviruses and herpesviruses. However, meningitis of bacterial origin is rarer, which can be extremely dangerous if not diagnosed in time and treated appropriately. The forms of bacterial meningitis are caused in most cases by streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus), which is transmitted through the respiratory tract and can reach the meninges via the blood flow.

The incidence of pneumococcal meningitis is higher in the elderly and in children under 5 years of age. The other bacterium responsible for meningitis is Neisseria meningitidis (meningococcus), present in a form that is not aggressive to the organism in approximately 20% of the human population. This pathogen can also spread through the upper respiratory tract and reach the meninges via blood flow. Its blood concentration can increase to the point that it overcomes the brain's protection system, the so-called blood-brain barrier, causing increasing inflammation over time. Finally, there are forms of meningitis caused by fungi or fungi. These, however, mainly concern subjects who have a compromised immune system and in whom this pathology can also have fatal consequences.”

The main symptoms

Again from the Santagostino portal we discover that there are «three main symptoms with which meningitis manifests itself: fever, headache and neck stiffness, i.e. feeling of stiffness in the back of the neck. These symptoms are also accompanied by drowsiness and loss of appetite. These initial symptoms are then followed by: jet vomiting, convulsions, alterations in the state of consciousness».

Treatments and therapies available

“The treatment of meningitis varies depending on the triggering agent,” underlines the team of doctors Santagostino. «Viral meningitis resolves within 7 to 10 daysdoes not require specific pharmacological treatments and since it is the most common form it generally resolves without serious consequences. Bacterial meningitis, on the other hand, is the rarest and most dangerous form and can lead to much more serious consequences. This form must always be treated with antibiotics. The symptoms of meningitis are often confused with those of a simple flu, and it is precisely for this reason that when you suspect you have contracted this type of infection and particularly when this one appears neck stiffnessit is advisable to contact your doctor immediately.

Antibiotic prophylaxisi.e. the preventive administration of antibiotics, it is not recommended in case of pneumococcal meningitiswhile it is for subjects who have had close contact with patients with meningococcal meningitis.”

Can you die from meningitis?

Yes, if it's in great shape. “In this case there is a worsening of the patient's general condition within a few hours, even leading to death.”

How to prevent the disease

«The only known way to prevent the disease is meningococcal vaccination. There has recently been a lot of discussion about the effectiveness of vaccines and the risks they entail: on this point, scientific research agrees in maintaining that the risks of vaccines are in no way comparable to the benefits for the individual and for the entire community.”