Viral meningitis is a relatively common, but rarely serious, viral infection of the tissues covering the brain. Although several different viruses can cause viral meningitis. Most individuals are exposed to these viruses at some point in their lives, but few people get viral meningitis. Viral meningitis occurs more often in children than in adults. How the disease is transmitted depends on the specific type of virus involved.
Children can sometimes get viral meningitis following infection with mumps or herpesvirus .
The symptoms include sudden onset of fever, headache, muscle aches, sore throat and a general feeling of not being well. This is followed, usually within a day, by stiffness of the neck and back, nausea, and vomiting, especially in children. These symptoms typically fade 3 to 7 days after onset. Most patients recover completely from viral meningitis. The onset of symptoms varies depending on the specific virus involved, but the onset commonly occurs within 7 days of infection with the virus.