What is Meningitis?

[Gabriel C]

What is it that it atacks and is it a disease an std or what.and how can you tell if you have Meningitisim 11 and im new to all this Meningitisstuff.I have to get a Meningitis shot for sixth.How do you know when someone has Meningitis.because i herd it is realy ceasy to catch

[010081]

it is a bacterial infection, but sometimes it can be viral. it attacts the body quickly and there is fever, stiff neck, severe headache and sensitivity to light...body limbs tend to be rigid too. but dont get this confused with the flu or strep infection! only a doctor or hospital can diagnose it via tests.

[Mischief Managed]

Meningitis is contagious and affects the meninges which is a covering that protects your brain and covers it on the outside. Go to this site for more info : http://www.dickinson.edu/departments/health/whatsnew/MeningitisInfoRev11-02.htm

[Elizabeth G]

Meningitis is inflammation of the layers of tissue around your brain and spinal cord, called the meninges. Meningitis is very serious and it can kill you quickly. I didn't know it's widespread enough for them to require vaccines against it, although my son didn't need it when he started 6th grade two years ago. Read about it on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meningitisp.s. the suffix "itis" means inflammation, so any disease ending in "itis" means just that - inflammation of the first part of the word. Things can be inflamed for a huge variety of reasons, though, so inflammation is not just a simple explanation but it's a start.

[Ashley Rawrrz]

Meningitis is a infection, which can be bacterial or viral, symptoms can include fever, headache, nausea or vomiting, light sensitive [photophobia], drowsiness or confusion, sore throat, and more. Depending on the type, it can be very dangerous.