Bacterial meningitis has made a known name for itself throughout the world. The word meningitis means "an inflammation of the meninges, or the brain and spinal cord linings" (Hoff 64). Since the late 1800's and early 1900's, bacterial meningitis has been at epidemic proportions. Killing nearly 300 people every year in the United States, it has grown to be a feared disease ("What"). Since bacterial meningitis is such a deadly disease, people need to become aware of its characteristics, how it works, and how to treat and prevent it.
             Bacterial meningitis is a disease that is not easily foreseen because of its rapid onset, making it a must for people to know and understand its general characteristics. For example, various infectious agents can cause bacterial meningitis, but bacteria produce the most life-threatening forms ("Meningitis" E). Among the many bacteria causing this disease, Neisseria meningitidis is one of the most common and dangerous, multiplying in the meninges, producing pus that thickens the cerebrospinal fluid ("Meningitis" E). To obtain this bacteria is hard to do because the bacteria is unable to survive long in the air, but it is possible through direct contact like coughing, sneezing, and kissing ("What"). In addition, physical body changes are direct red flags to help identify whether a person has caught bacterial meningitis ("Meningitis; meningococcal" T). Physical symptoms of bacterial meningitis are usually very fast, and may result in death in only a few hours. The first symptom o!
             f bacterial meningitis is usually vomiting, but others include rash, stiff neck, severe headache, a high fever, and ultimately death ("Meningitis; meningococcal" D). Furthermore, neurological changes can also occur during bacterial meningitis, often leaving the patient with brain deficiencies (Hoff 64). The brain is one of the main organs that bac...