Also called: Spinal meningitis
Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
About Meningitis
Meningitis is inflammation of the thin tissue that surrounds the brain and spinal cord, called the meninges. There are several types of meningitis. The most common is viral meningitis. You get it when a virus enters the body through the nose or mouth and travels to the brain. Bacterial meningitis is rare but can be deadly. It usually starts with bacteria that cause a cold-like infection. It can cause stroke, hearing loss, and brain damage. It can also harm other organs. Pneumococcal infections and meningococcal infections are the most common causes of bacterial meningitis.
Anyone can get meningitis, but it is more common in people with weak immune systems. Meningitis can get serious very quickly. You should get medical care right away if you have:
- A sudden high fever
- A severe headache
- A stiff neck
- Nausea or vomiting
Early treatment can help prevent serious problems, including death. Tests to diagnose meningitis include blood tests, imaging tests, and a spinal tap to test cerebrospinal fluid. Antibiotics can treat bacterial meningitis. Antiviral medicines may help some types of viral meningitis. Other medicines can help treat symptoms.
There are vaccines to prevent some of the bacterial infections that cause meningitis.
It sits within Infections and Brain and Nerves.
The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.
Research on Meningitis
503 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.
What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.
Research currently under way
- B-PaLMZ for TB MeningitisDavid Boulware
- Natural History of Treated Neurocysticercosis and Long-Term OutcomesNational Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
- Olorofim in Early Coccidioidal MeningitisFariba Donovan
- Platform Trial For Cryptococcal Meningitis (PLATFORM-CM)David Boulware
- Etiology, Pathogenesis, and Natural History of Idiopathic CD4+ LymphocytopeniaNational Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
- Fungal Infection SusceptibilityNational Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Research already completed
- Surveillance of Invasive Pneumococcal Infections in Adults (Excluding Meningitis)University Hospital, Limoges
- Understanding the Immune Response to Two Different Meningitis VaccinesUniversity of Oxford
Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.
Where to read more
Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.
Start Here
- Inflamed Brain: Recognizing Encephalitis and MeningitisNational Institutes of Health
- MeningitisNational Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Diagnosis and Tests
- Bacteria Culture TestNational Library of Medicine
- Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) AnalysisNational Library of Medicine
- Meningococcal Disease TestsNational Library of Medicine
- Nasal SwabNational Library of Medicine
- Procalcitonin TestNational Library of Medicine
- Spinal Tap (Lumbar Puncture)Nemours Foundation
- Ultrasound: Head (For Parents)Nemours Foundation
Prevention and Risk Factors
- Haemophilus Influenzae Type b (Hib) Vaccine: What You Need to KnowCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
Related Issues
- EncephalitisNational Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
- Travelers' Health: Meningococcal DiseaseCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: MeningitisNational Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Meningitis, AsepticNational Institutes of Health
Patient Handouts
- Meningococcal ACWY Vaccine: What You Need to KnowCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
- Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine: What You Need to KnowCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
- Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine (PPSV23): What You Need to KnowCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
Medical subject headings
Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Meningitis. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.
This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Meningitis, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.