If you are worried, get medical advice. Bacterial Meningitis Bacterial meningitis is quite rare, BUT it can be very serious and needs urgent treatment with antibiotics. The names represent the different organisms that cause meningitis i.e. cause the meninges to become inflamed. If bacterial meningitis is diagnosed early and treated promptly, most people make a full recovery, However, in some cases it can be fatal, or lead to permanent handicaps such as deafness or brain damage. For more information on after-effects, contact the Trust.
Meningococcal meningitis accounts for more than half the cases.
Some forms of bacterial meningitis affect new-born babies. The most common are E Coli and group B streptococcus. These forms are rare and often referred to as Neonatal meningitis. It is now very rare and has almost been eliminated by the Hib vaccine which was introduced into the routine immunisation programmein 1992. The germs that cause bacterial meningitis are very common and live naturally in the back of the nose and throat.