Meningitis can cause blood poisoning, blindness, deafness, and can damage many organs. Ten to fifteen percent of people with the illness die, often within hours of the first signs of illness. Meningococcal disease is a relatively rare disease and is usually found as a single sporadic case. Bacterial meningitis is spread from person to person by direct transfer of saliva. Even if the bacterium is spread from person to person, it does not mean the next person will contract the disease.
Most persons develop immunity and become carriers.
One in ten people carry this particular germ in the back of their nose and throat without any signs of illness. Rarely a person develops the disease instead of becoming a carrier. As mentioned, most people exposed to the meningococcal bacteria do not become ill, however, sometimes disease can develop with a fever, stiff neck, small blotchy red spots on the skin, vomiting, and confusion. Changes in behavior such as sleepiness, and being hard to wake up, can also be symptoms. In some infants, the only signs of meningitis may be fussiness, lack of appetite, and unusual tiredness.