Meningitis
Haven Turner
History
Meningitis may have been known as far back as ancient Greece, when Hippocrates, referred to as the "father of medicine," described conditions central to the disease.
The first recorded one occurred in Geneva, Switzerland in 1805. A major case of epidemic meningitis swept through what is today known as Nigeria and Ghana from 1905 to 1908.
http://www.ehow.com/facts_5485019_history-meningitis.html
Causes: How is this disease transmitted
Meningitis is contagious. It is spread through close contact such as kissing or coughing on someone.About one in ten people carry the bacteria in their nose or throat without showing any signs or symptoms of the disease. These people can unknowingly transmit the bacteria to others.
http://www.nmaus.org/disease-prevention-information/how-is-it-spread/
Signs and Symptoms
Bacterial meningitis symptoms may develop within hours
or days. These symptoms may also develop quickly or over several days.
Fever
Prevention
Wash your hands.
Meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV4).
Treatment
Most people with meningitis usually start to get better within 3 days of feeling sick, and they recover within two weeks. With most cases you would only need home treatment, including taking in extra fluids and taking pain and fever medication.
Medicines such as antibiotics
Oxygen therapy (if needed) for patients who have trouble breathing
Supportive care (in hospital being watched closely and provide needed care)
Diagnosis
In severe cases your doctor can always do a lumbar puncture (collecting spinal fluid to check for bacteria and viruses). Other tests many doctor do is a complete blood count, blood culture, urine test, chest x-ray, biopsy, or a CT or MRI. All of these are to check for infection.
http://www.everydayhealth.com/info/v1s07/diagnosis-of-meningitis?xid=g_dlp-v1s07
Who does meningitis affect?
Meningitis can affect anyone but the most common are infants (6 to 18 months), children under the age of 5 years old, young adults, elderly people (this is because of their declining immune system), and people that are already sick. Although this disease is serious it is treatable and most people have a complete recovery.
Mortality Rate: 849 per year, 70 per month, 16 per week, 2 per day, 0 per hour, 0 per minute, 0 per second