There are perception from parents, that meningitis is an ordinary illness for children that can easily go away.
Meningitis occurs in people of all ages , but it is most common in infants and children under the age of ten years. It is caused by a wide variety of infectious agents that invade the meninges.
The infectious agents grow in the meninges and the surrounding fluid. The bacteria that causes pneumococcal disease is carried in the throat and nose of healthy children and this can passed on to other children by sneezing or coughing.
Once the bacteria entered the body, it can travel or cede to the brain or lungs thus causing meningitis.
Pneumococcal meningitis can be fatal and some children who survive may have some permanent disability such as deafness, brain damage, paralysis and poor performance in school.
However, early diagnosis and treatment have reduce the fatality rate. The results of treatment of other forms of meningitis have been very good, mortality rate reduced and complete recovery has followed in many cases.
Since the development of sulfa drugs and antibiotic, great strides have been made in the treatment of meningitis. However, for most favorable results, early diagnosis and the identification of the infecting organism are exceedingly important.
