Meningitis is an infection that affects the membranes of the brain. Meningitis can occur due to a bacterium or a virus. The treatment differs depending on whether it is a bacterial or a viral infection. The viral meningitis has no treatment, but the bacterial meningitis is treated using antibiotics.

The signs of both the types of meningitis are the same. Only a blood test can reveal if it is a viral or a bacterial infection. Sometimes, the fluid of the spine is also tested to get the right diagnosis for bacterial meningitis. When the signs of meningitis are noticed, the patient is hospitalized and isolated form the rest. Then the type of meningitis is determined.

Some of the common signs of meningitis are fever, chills, cold and cough. These signs can develop within a few hours or even a day after the infection occurs. Some people also experience nausea and vomiting. There may be stiffness in the neck and this is one of the classic symptoms. However, smaller children may not be able to explain this very well, so they act cranky and refuse to be touched or cuddled. Also, some children have a pain in the neck and you should check with them if it is hurting by touching it. Both adults and children experience the same symptoms in varying degrees. Also, there will be a severe loss of appetite. The fever or chills may be extreme, and also flu like symptoms prevail. The temperature can shoot up to 104 degrees C.

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