Miningitus

Bacterial meningitis is amongst the most feared infectious disease due to its seriousness of its symptoms alone.   It takes on a fast progression that has the ability to develop severe brain damage.   According to all researchers, the frequency of meningitis fears physicians the most ().   However, most cases of bacterial meningitis have an acute onset ().   In people over the age of two years of age, common sign and symptoms are high fever, headache, and stiffness of the neck (). These symptoms may be develop over hours, or take 2 to 3 days. Other symptoms include vomiting, sensitivity to light, and confusion ().   In new borns and infants the typical symptoms such as vomiting and fever are hard to detect.   Other signs to look for in babies could possibly be irritability, inactivity, vomiting, and poor feeding.   Bruises develop under the skin and spread quickly over the body followed by a coma also may occur in its severe stages of all ages ().   These symptoms due to meningitis are all related to brain dysfunctions.   They are caused by transmissions of toxic materials from the infected cerebrospinal fluid into the brain tissue.   This triggers the disruption of arterial perfusion and venous drainage from the brain because of blood vessel inflammation ().   These factors also provoke cerebral swelling, which increases intracranial pressure and contributes to the symptoms of the illness ().   Before antibiotics became available, bacterial meningitis was almost invariably fatal ().
 
References

Maiden, Martin C.J., & Pollard, Andrew J. (Eds.). (2001) . Meningococcal Vaccines: Methods and Protocols. Totowa, New Jersey: Humana Press Inc.

Tunkel, Allan R. (2001).   Bacterial Meningitus. New York, NY: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.