Meningitis Case Study

Public Health Problem Meningitis is believed to have existed since ancient times (Mandal, 2012), and the World Health Organization (2014) continues to regard it as a global public health risk even to this present day, with the disease becoming so prominent in sub-Saharan Africa that the area itself has been dubbed “the meningitis belt”. Meningitis is a worldwide problem that demands attention and solutions. Meningitis is a disease that specifically affects the membranes of the brain and spinal cord, otherwise known as the meninges, causing the aforementioned membranes to become inflamed. With respect to its initial cause, the severity of meningitis can range from the infected being able to recover independently (with the natural performance of their immune systems alone), to potentially fatal (in which the infected will then require immediate medical attention in the form of

There are five types of meningitis, each diagnosis classified according to their cause: viral, bacterial, fungal, parasitic, and non-infectious (developed as a result of HIV/AIDS, cancer, tuberculosis, and other diseases and conditions). The distinct symptoms that all five types of meningitis share are the symptoms originating from the inflamed meninges, which, as reported by the Mayo Clinic (2015), include headaches, fever, and stiffness of the neck as the most distinct few of the variety. As stated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2015), although meningitis is considered a relatively rare disease in the United States (with the usually nonfatal viral meningitis being the most commonly observed case), bacterial meningitis in particular is the epidemic type that is often times fatal and the most dangerous. It is contagious and it can be spread by respiratory fluids such as saliva and mucus (CDC, 2015). In some cases, it is possible for those who have recovered from this form of meningitis to suffer from acute complications that impact their