Among others, here are a certain number of high-risk factors:
- Having physical contacts with a person infected by meningitis – exchange of saliva during kisses, sneezes, sharing of the same glass, the same cigarette…
- Going to a country where the disease is very frequent. The best is to inform you before your departure.
- Smoking. Meningitis may affect smokers either active or passive ones.
- Tiredness and stress weaken the immune system which then protects you less against the risks of disease.
If you think you are in presence of a case of meningitis, take the ill person immediately to the doctor. If the doctor foresees a case of meningitis for a reason or another, he will hospitalize immediately the patient.
A lumbar puncture – taking of cephalo-rachidian liquid – will allow to identify the bacteria or the virus responsible for the meningitis. This will allow to adapt the treatment depending on the type of meningitis the ill person suffers from.
If it is a meningitis due to meningococcus, a preventive treatment (antibiotherapy, vaccination) will be suggested to the persons who have had a brief or prolonged contact with the ill person.
