Meningitis

[queenofmean]

Someone I know and I were discussing this and he mentioned that apparently once it's in your system it's there forever - is this true or not? Can anybody tell me thanks

[Prudie]

I don't know but it can be bacterial or viral. Maybe the viral kind remains dormant.

[ferlew]

There is a vaccination for under 24's for it.
Maybe it's like chickenpox ?

[queenofmean]

I've had the vaccine for Meningitis C but I've also had Meningitis too. It doesn't bother me really but I was curious

[LazyGun]

Meningitis is inflammation of the meninges, and can be caused by a variety of agents ; bacterial ( usually the most severe form of meningitis), viral,fungi and parasites, so it sort of depends on which organism whether it can remain dormant in the system or not.

Herpes Simplex Virus for instance, can, once in the system, remain latent for many years, and has been associated with meningitis/encephalitis.

For the most part though, I would say that no, the most common agents that cause meningitis are not organisms that can remain dormant within the system.

[Sqad]

"Remains dormant?"

You mean being present in the body without causing the symptoms of disease.

Yes, they may well.........Herpes viruses,Enteroviruses,bacteria including our old friend the tubercle bacillus can remain "dormant" in the body and for a variety of reasons become activated and produce the full blown disease, in this case ....Meningitis.

What activates them? who knows?...variation in temperature, anxiety states, trauma, even minor trauma or a change in the immune system brought about by another unrelated disease.

[queenofmean]

Thank you all (Lazygun love your avatar btw!)

[Peter Pedant]

as a rule - no

recurrent meningitis is rare - really rare

[maggiebee]

Queenie, I heard this on the radio a couple of weeks ago.