Facts About Viral Spinal Meningitis

Meningitis, also known as asceptic meningitis, affects the spinal cord and brain. When a person has meningitis, the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord become inflamed. Of the two causes of meningitis, bacterial and viral, the most common is viral infection.

Severity

• Viral meningitis can be very serious and can result in death in some people. Most often it is not this serious and usually lasts from a week to 10 days.

Causes

• There are many viral infections that may lead to viral spinal meningitis, including mumps, herpes viruses, chicken pox, measles and influenza. Mosquitoes and rodents may also carry and spread the virus.

Symptoms

• Symptoms of viral spinal meningitis include fever, irritability, loss of appetite, lethargy, headache, stiff neck, nausea, vomiting, light sensitivity and sleepiness.

Transmission

• Viral spinal meningitis may be spread in many ways, including contact with an infected person's stool or saliva, kissing or shaking hands with someone who is infected, touching something an infected person has touched and exposure to oral secretions from an infected person who has coughed or sneezed.

Prevention/Solution

• Frequent washing of the hands with soap and warm water is one of the best prevention methods for any virus, including this one. It is also important to avoid sharing cups, silverware, and lipstick with an infected person and to wash the surfaces of phones, doorknobs and remote controls.