Meningitis—Lyme Disease

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection you get from the bite of an infected tick. The first symptom is usually a red rash, which may look like a bull’s eye. But not all people with Lyme disease have a rash. As the infection spreads to other parts of the body, you may have

• A fever
• A headache
• Body aches
• A stiff neck
• Fatigue

Lyme disease can be hard to diagnose because many of its symptoms are like those of the flu and other diseases. And you may not have noticed a tick bite. Your health care provider will look at your symptoms and medical history to figure out whether you have Lyme disease. Lab tests may not always give a clear answer until you have been infected for at least a few weeks.

Antibiotics can cure most cases of Lyme disease. The sooner treatment begins, the quicker and more complete the recovery.

After treatment, some patients may still have muscle or joint aches and nervous system symptoms. This is called post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS). Long-term antibiotics have not been shown to help with PTLDS. However, there are ways to help with the symptoms of PTLDS, and most patients do get better with time.

NIH: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

• Beware of Ticks … & Lyme Disease (Food and Drug Administration) – PDF
• Lyme disease (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Lyme disease antibody (Medical Encyclopedia)

Also called: Spinal meningitis

Meningitis is inflammation of the thin tissue that surrounds the brain and spinal cord, called the meninges. There are several types of meningitis. The most common is viral meningitis. You get it when a virus enters the body through the nose or mouth and travels to the brain. Bacterial meningitis is rare, but can be deadly. It usually starts with bacteria that cause a cold-like infection. It can cause stroke, hearing loss, and brain damage. It can also harm other organs. Pneumococcal infections and meningococcal infections are the most common causes of bacterial meningitis.

Anyone can get meningitis, but it is more common in people with weak immune systems. Meningitis can get serious very quickly. You should get medical care right away if you have

• A sudden high fever
• A severe headache
• A stiff neck
• Nausea or vomiting

Early treatment can help prevent serious problems, including death. Tests to diagnose meningitis include blood tests, imaging tests, and a spinal tap to test cerebrospinal fluid. Antibiotics can treat bacterial meningitis. Antiviral medicines may help some types of viral meningitis. Other medicines can help treat symptoms.

There are vaccines to prevent some of the bacterial infections that cause meningitis.

NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

• Cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) collection (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Cerebrospinal fluid culture (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Meningitis (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Meningitis – cryptococcal (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Meningitis – gram-negative (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Meningitis – H. influenzae (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Meningococcal ACWY Vaccines – MenACWY and MPSV4: What You Need to Know (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) – PDF
• Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV13): What You Need to Know (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) – PDF
• Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine: What You Need to Know (Immunization Action Coalition) – PDF
• Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine: What You Need to Know (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) – PDF