This article discusses meningococcal meningitis and some of its symptoms.
It also goes over how this infection is treated and ways it can be prevented.
Stephanie Verhart / Getty Images
Meningococcal meningitis is always a medical emergency.
Stephanie Verhart / Getty Images
What Is Meningococcal Meningitis?
A meningitis infection leads to inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord.
Meningococcal meningitis is triggered by the bacteriaNeisseria meningitidis.
Get our printable guide for your next healthcare provider’s appointment to help you ask the right questions.
Different types of meningitis are sparked by different infectious agents (i.e., virus or bacteria).
Meningococcal meningitis is a rare jot down of bacterial meningitis.
Meningococcal meningitis can be deadly if isn’t treated promptly.
Adult Symptoms
The mainsymptom of meningitisis usually a headache.
The headache causes significant pain all over the head.
The pain may worsen when bending the neck forward.
People with meningitis often also have a fever and a stiff neck.
In bacterial forms, those symptoms come on and worsen quickly.
Other meningitis symptoms include:
Meningococcal meningitis produces a characteristic rash consisting oftiny red dots calledpetechiae.
These tiny red dots represent bleeding into the skin.
If the spots do not “blanch” or disappear, it may be petechiae.
Petechiae can coalesce to form larger skin lesions calledpurpura.
Neither the smaller dots nor the purpura spots will blanch.
Symptoms in Infants and Children
Meningitis looks different in infants and children than it does in adults.
The fluid is tested for signs of infection, inflammation, bleeding, and the presence of infectious organisms.
Treatment typically entails antiviral and/or antibiotic medication, depending on the specific infectious agent.
Get our printable guide for your next healthcare provider’s appointment to help you ask the right questions.
How Common Is Rash in Meningitis?
Overall, a rash is not unusual with other forms of meningitis.
It’s more common in meningococcal disease, though, with about 50% of infected people developing petechiae.
you’re able to have petechiae andnothave meningitis, or you could have a non-meningococcal form of meningitis.
Alternately, you could have meningococcal meningitis and not have a petechial rash.
This is not a cut-and-dried correlation.
Meningitis progresses quickly, but most people recover with prompt treatment.
Even with treatment, however, it is possible to develop complications after you’ve recovered.
These may include:
Treatment and Prevention
The treatment for meningococcal meningitis is antibiotics.
There is a vaccine for meningococcal meningitis, but it isn’t 100% effective.
Summary
A headache with a rash could be a sign of meningococcal meningitis.
This is a bacterial infection that causes inflammation in the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord.
Meningococcal meningitis is always an emergency and requires prompt treatment.
In infants and children, the infection can cause extreme sleepiness, excessive crying, and fever.
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