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Medical Investigation on TV

As seen on "Medical Investigation"
March 18, 2005 | Archive

Meningitis is an infection of the fluid of a person's spinal cord and the fluid that surrounds the brain. Meningitis is usually caused by a viral or bacterial infection. Viral meningitis is generally less severe and resolves without specific treatment, while bacterial meningitis can be quite severe and may result in brain damage, hearing loss, or a learning disability.

Common symptoms of meningitis are fever, headache, a stiff neck, nausea and vomiting. Bacterial meningitis can be treated with a number of effective antibiotics, but it is important that treatment be started early.

	NINDS Encephalitis and Meningitis Information Page
	More meningitis resources

NIH Research and You
The NIH funds clinical studies that provide experimental treatment for bacterial meningitis, along with a wide range of other diseases and disorders.

To join a clinical trial, search for your condition at www.clinicaltrials.gov and ask your doctor to help you choose the study that's right for you.

For more information about clinical trials, call the NIH at 1-800-411-1222.

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The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is the primary Federal agency that dispatches field investigators to resolve public health emergencies. CDC is NIH's sister agency under the Department of Health and Human Services.

	Meet a real medical investigator Prosthodontist Mary Walker
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This page was last reviewed on March 28, 2005 .

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