Meningitis UK is a national charity based in Bristol. Our sole focus is on prevention and funding lifesaving research to eradicate all forms of meningitis. Meningitis is a terrifying disease which can kill in less than four hours and tragically is most prevalent in children and young people.

Sadly, the disease strikes with incredible speed and can be very difficult to detect as its symptoms are so similar to the common cold and flu. There are also times when people show no, or very few, symptoms. For all these reasons, we believe that prevention is the only way to truly eradicate the disease.

Meningitis affects thousands of people in the UK every year and devastates families and whole communities, so developing a vaccine will make a huge difference to countless lives.   

Meningitis is a very frightening disease because it can strike so quickly, causing someone to become seriously ill within hours and if not treated successfully can cause death and serious disability.

It does not discriminate and can affect anyone of any age or ethnic origin. Knowing the common symptoms is vital, as prompt medical treatment can mean the difference between life and death.
What is meningitis?

Meningitis is caused when the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord - known as the meninges - become inflamed, usually as a result of an infection.

This infection is usually caused by viruses or bacteria. It may also develop following a serious injury to the head or spine, or by a fungal infection. Although it can be very unpleasant, most people with viral meningitis make a full recovery within a couple of weeks.

Bacterial meningitis however is life-threatening and requires urgent medical treatment. The disease can strike with incredible speed and can kill someone in hours or cause permanent disability such as loss of limbs, blindness, deafness and brain damage.

Bacterial meningitis can be caused by a range of different bacteria. The most common form of bacterium in the UK is the meningococcus, which is most prevalent in children under the age of five and young adults aged 14-24. The bacteria normally live harmlessly at the back of the nose and throat and can be found in around 10% of the population at any one time. The bacteria can only be passed from person to person in nasal or oral droplets, for example by kissing or sneezing and even when passed on, are usually unlikely to cause problems, as most people have a natural resistance to the bacteria.

However, in some cases, the bacteria go beyond colonisation, and cross into the bloodstream to cause serious disease. The bacteria can cause two distinct forms of the disease - meningitis (infection of the meninges that surround the brain) and septicaemia (blood poisoning). Meningococcal septicaemia and meningococcal meningitis can occur together or separately.

A major problem with bacterial meningitis is that the symptoms are often mistaken for the common flu. By the time the patient is diagnosed it can be too late to save them. Usually the first symptoms of meningitis and septicaemia are classic flu-like symptoms, a fever and headache, often accompanied by nausea and vomiting, or aching joints. Signs of meningitis also include stiffness in the neck and an aversion to bright light, whilst the clearest symptom of septicaemia is a pinprick rash which can be identified by the simple tumbler test.

However, many patients show these more specific symptoms too late or not at all, which makes the disease very difficult to diagnose. This, in addition to the incredible speed by which the disease strikes, is why we believe at Meningitis UK that the only way to truly eradicate the disease is through prevention.