Pneumococcal meningitis - S. pneumoniae is the leading cause of bacterial meningitis among children and adults in the United States. Pneumococcal meningitis can result in permanent damage to the brain and nervous system, learning deficits and deafness. Black persons, Alaskan Natives and American Indians. Symptoms Symptoms vary according to the type of pneumococcal infection. If you think you may have a serious infection, see your health care provider right away.
Pneumonia causes fever, difficulty breathing, cough, and chest pain.
Meningitis causes fever, sleepiness or irritability, headache, vomiting, seizures, and loss of consciousness. The bacteria spreads from person to person through secretions from the nose, mouth and throat. Although the bacteria can spread from person to person, pneumococcal disease does not usually occur in contacts of ill persons and no special treatment of contacts of persons with pneumococcal infection is necessary. Diagnosis and treatment Health care providers diagnose pneumococcal infection by physical examination and taking samples of blood or spinal fluid for culture. A chest x-ray is used to diagnose pneumonia.