Bacterial meningitis
Bacterial meningitis can be life threatening and requires URGENT medical treatment.
Someone suffering from bacterial meningitis needs to be treated with antibiotics immediately. The sooner effective treatment is given, the more likely a person is to make a full recovery. Knowing the symptoms and acting fast can save lives.
Bacterial meningitis and septicaemia are caused by different types of bacteria. There are around 50 types of bacteria that can cause meningitis and septicaemia.
The most common in the UK are meningococcal and pneumococcal. Other types which cause disease include:
- Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib)
- Group B streptococcus
- Tuberculosis meningitis
- E.coli
- Listeria
- Staphylococcal
- Other forms of bacterial meningitis
Read about the vaccines that are available to protect against some types of bacterial meningitis and about disease surveillance and trends.
Read our list of frequently asked questions about meningitis such as:
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