Bacterial Meningitis Clinical Characteristics, Modes of Transmission and Treatment Options

Despite advances in medical care, improvement of anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory therapy and worldwide immunisation programs, bacterial meningitis is still responsible for substantial morbidity and mortality in both developed and developing countries. A worldwide reported mortality rate from bacterial meningitis continue to be high, ranging between 2% to 30%. Twenty percent of survivors develop neurological sequelae. During the last decades, the disease epidemiology has changed dramatically in the countries that implemented the conjugate vaccines against the most common meningeal pathogens. Also in developing countries, gradual changes have been observed in the epidemiology of bacterial meningitis that are unrelated to the introduction of new vaccines, but are partly due to the improvement of living conditions. This book examines the modes of transmission of bacterial meningitis, as well as the clinical characteristics, and treatment options.